1

Sunbeam Women’s College Varuna,

(Affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidhyapith)

Varanasi-221002 Uttar pradesh

Zoology Project

Topic: Morphology and Nervous system of Prawn

Submitted by: Submitted to:

Shalini singh Dr. Soumik Goswami

B.Sc. V Semester Dr. Joy nivedita samuel

 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am thankful to the Principal, Sunbeam Women's College

Varuna - Dr. Rajeev Singh for his constant support and
encouragement and providing me a platform for higher
education.

I also express my gratitude towards my supervisor Dr. Soumik

goswami & Dr. Joy nivedita samuel for their positive criticism
and for giving me an excellent opportunity to prepare this
wonderful project on “ Morphology and nervous system of
prawn”

I also thank all the teachers of the department for imparting

knowledge in me and making me understand the insights of
zoology.

I am also grateful towards my classmates who have always

been encouraging and supportive, helping me out in daily
academic endeavors.

Last but not the least; I also thank the associated staffs and lab
assistants for their assistance
 3

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify to be the benefited work of SHALINI
SINGH of B.Sc –Vth Semester.
The work of the student was conducted during her tenure as a
graduation student at Sunbeam Women’s college Varuna
during academic year 2023-2024.

Teacher-in-charge

Examiner’s Signature Principal

Date: Institution rubber stamp

 4

SYSTEMIC POSITION OF PRAWN

Phylum Arthropoda

Sub-phylum Mandibulata

Class Crustacea

Sub-class Malacostraca

Order Decapoda

Sub -order Natantia

Family Palaemonidae

Genus Palaemon

Species malcolmsonii

Species found in India

Palaemon carcinus
Palaemon idae
Palaemon lamarei

Palaemon rudis

Palaemon malcosomnii

Habits and habitats

Found in fresh water-stream river ,lakes and ponds.Nocturnal hiding itself
at the depth during day .Omnivorous, bilaterally symmetrical Young
prawns are transparent ,pale yellow perfectly white appearance.In bottom
walk by 5 pair walking legs.In water swim by 5 pair pleopods.Autotomy:
Removal of desired body parts.Seasonal breeder: May and june
 5

MORPHOLOGY OF PRAWN

External morphology
1. Shape and size
Body is elongated,more or less spindle-shaped and bilaterally symmetrical. It
offers least resistance in swimming. Size of adult varies from species to species.

2. Colouration
Young stages are translucent and white,but the adults are differently tinted
according to the species.Usual colour is dull pale-blue or greenish with brown
orange-red patches. Preserved specimens become deep orange-red.

3.Segmentation and body divisions

Body of adult prawn is distinctly divided into 19 segments or somites , all
bearing jointed appendages. The segments are arranged into two main regions:
an anterior cephalothorax(fused head –thorax) and a posterior abdomen.
In short, external anatomy comprises a rostrum, carapace, abdomen segments,
telson, pleopods, pereiopods (legs), maxilliped, and antennule.
 6

CEPHALOTHORAX ABDOMEN

⚫ 13 Segments of head and thorax ⚫ Posterior, 6 movable , jointed

parts fused.
⚫ 13 seg=(5 segments of head and
8 segments of thorax)
⚫ All 13 segments bears jointed
appendages) .
which can be flexed forwards
under the cephalothorax.
⚫ At the end of abdomen, there is a
terminal conical piece called
telson (appendages absent).

4.External apertures
1.Mouth(opens mid ventrally at the anterior end of cephalothorax)

2.Anus ( longitudinal aperture lying ventrally at the base of telson)

3.Paired Renal apertures open on raised papillae on the inner surface of

coxae of antennae.

4. Paired female genital apertures in female opens on the inner surface of

coxae of the third pair of walking legs.

5.Paired male genital apertures in male are situated on the inner surface of
coxae of the 5th pair of walking legs.

6.Statocyst-base on antennule.

5. EXOSKELETON
Body and appendages are covered by a hard protective calcareous shell or
exoskeleton(chitinous cover).

Become tinted by the deposition of lime salts and sclerotin.

Comprises of several hardened plates,called sclerites.

 7

Adjacent sclerites are connected by thin,soft,uncalcified cuticle or the arthodial

membranes, making the movements feasible.
 8

APPENDAGES(19 PAIRS)
Abdominal appendages(
Cephalic appendages(5) 6)
First pleopod
Antennule
Second pleopod

Antenna Third pleopod

Fourth pleopods
Mandible
Fifth pleopods
Maxilla
Uropod
Maxillulae

Thoracic app

Thoracic appendages(8)
First maxillipede

Second maxillipede

Third maxillipede

First walking leg

Second walking leg

Third walking leg

Fourth walking leg

Fifth walking leg

 9

Typical appendages

A typical biramous appendage consists of:

(1) A two jointed stalk of protopodite, the two segments of which are the coxa
and the basis; the coxa lies proximal to the basis;

(2) Attached to the basis, there are two branches or rami, an outer exopodite and
an inner endopodite.

A good example of a biramous appendages is the swimmeret(pleopod) attached

to the fouth abdominal segment.

Two modifications of the biramous appendages

⚫ Uniramous (any walking leg)

⚫ Foliaceous(second maxilla)
CEPHALIC APPENDAGES
ANTENNULE

Situated in front of the mouth just behind the base of the eye-stalk. Its
protopodite consists of three segments: precoxa, coxa and basis.

The procoxa is very large and carries a spine on its outer side. There is a
shallow depression on its dorsal surface, bearing the opening of the statocyst.
The statocyst is a small cuticular sac which lies within the precoxa; it is the
balancing organ of the prawn. The coxa is short; it is provided with sen-sory
hairs or setae.

The procoxa is very large and carries a spine on its outer side. There is a
shallow depression on its dorsal surface, bearing the opening of the statocyst.
The statocyst is a small cuticular sac which lies within the precoxa; it is the
balanc-ing organ of the prawn. The coxa is short; it is provided with sen-sory
hairs or setae.

The basis is slightly longer than the coxa and carries a pair of many jointed
feelers or flagella. The outer feeler is divided into two branches, of which the
smaller inner branch contains olfactory setae for the purpose of smelling. The
two feelers are modified exo and endopodites of the protopodite.
 10

ANTENNA

Protopodite consists of two segments: coxa and basis. The excretory organ or
green gland is lodged inside the coxa, and the urinary opening or renal
aperture is situated on its inner margin.

The basis gives off two rami—a leaf-like scale or squama and a long many-
jointed flagellum or feeler. The squama represents the exopo-dite and help the
prawn as a balancer in swimming. The flagel-lum bears tactile setae and
represents the endopodite.

The basis gives off two rami—a leaf-like scale or squama and a long many-
jointed flagellum or feeler. The squama represents the exopo-dite and help the
prawn as a balancer in swimming. The flagel-lum bears tactile setae and
represents the endopodite.

MANDIBLE

The coxa of the protopodite is modified to form the apophysis and the head of
the mandible. The basis of the protopodite corresponds to the proximal
segment of the palp and the endopodite is repre-sented by the two distal
segments of the same. The exopodite is absent. The mandible serves as a
cutting and crushing apparatus.
 11

MAXILLULAE
The maxillula consists of three foliaceous plates, the margins of which are
covered with sensory setae.

Of the three plates, the two directed inwards are the jaws or gnathobases;
these are the coxa and basis if the protopodite. The third, directed outwards
represents the endopodite. The exopodite is absent. The maxillula helps to
push bed into the mouth.

MAXILLA
It is a thin foliaceous appendage placed behind the maxillula. Its peduncle
consists of a much educed coxa and a larger bifurcated basis which projects
inward is the endites or jaws. The large fan-shaped exopodite is known is the
scaphognathite; it lies in front of the gill-chamber.

The small endopodite is placed between the exopodite and the endites. The
maxilla has a two-fold function. The endites are used to push bod into the oral
cavity. The scaphognathite helps in respiration by maintaining a constant flow
of water through the gill-chamber.
12
13
 14

THORACIC APPENDAGES

First maxillipede
 15

Second maxillipede

Third maxillipede
 16

5 pairs walking legs

They are 5 pairs.

Differ from maxillipeds in their sizes and in absence of exopodite and epipodite.

the first 2 pairs are chelate and the other 3 pairs are nonchelate.

the typical walking leg has a two jointed protopodite and 5 jointed endopodite.

all the seven podomeres,namely

coxa,basis,ischium,merus,corpus,propodus,dactylus are arrange in linear series.
 17

ABDOMINAL APPENDAGES
Typical abdominal appendages
The protopodite consists of a ring like coxa and a cylindrical basis. the basis
bears flattened leaf like smaller endopodite and a larger exopodite.

From the inner basal margin of endopodite a small rod like structure arises
called appendix interna.
during breeding season, in female these opposite sides of interna articulate to
form a series of brigde which serve to carry eggs.

First abdominal appendages

Appendix interna is absent and endopodite is reduced in size

Second abdominal appendages

second pleopod of female is typical. but in male there is an additional

rod like process called appendix masculina present.

Uropods
The 6th pair of abdominal appendages are called uropods. There are
large lie one on either side of telson .Together with telson ,they form
tail-fin.In each uropod coxa and basis fuse together to form a
triangular sympod,bearing the oar shaped endopodite and
exopodite.
 18

NERVOUS SYSTEM
The nervous system of prawn is of the annelidan type. However, it is

somewhat larger and has more fusion of ganglia. It consists of

(i) The central nervous system including brain connected with a

ventral ganglionated nerve cord through a pair of circum-
oesophageal commissures

(ii) The peripheral nervous system including nerves, and

(iii) The sympathetic nervous system.

Central nervous system

Brain or a pair of
Circum-oesophageal
supra-oesophageal
ganglia
ganglia

Ventral thoracic
Ventral nerve cord
ganglionic mass

Brain
Bilobed; Brain lies at the base of rostrum,

anterior to oesophagus and surrounded by a thick mass of fat. It is a bilobed

structure derived from the fusion of several ganglia. On each side of the brain

gives off
 19

(i) an antennulary nerve to antennule, into which it sends a statocystic branch

to the statocyst branch to the statocyst,

(ii) A stout optic nerve to compound eye

(iii) An ophthalmic nerve to muscles of eye-stalk

(iv) an antennary nerve to antenna and

(v) A slender tegumental nerve to labrum.

Circum oesophageal commissure

Posteriorly, the brain gives rise off a pair of stout nerve or circumoesophageal
commissure these runs downward and backward , encircle oesophagous and
unite ventrally with the sub-oesophagus ganglion.

Both commissures are connected together by a slender transverse commissure.

Ventral thoracic ganglionic mass

Like segments, the segmental nerve ganglia of cephalothorax also become fused
to form an elongated ventral thoracic ganglionic mass, lying mid-ventrally on
the floor of cephalothorax. It represents fusion of 11 pairs of ganglia and gives
off laterally 11 pairs of nerves.

CEPHALIC NERVES(3) THORACIC NERVE(8)

Mandibulary nerve to 1st maxillipede

Maxillary nerve to 2nd maxillipede

Maxillulary nerve to 3rd maxillipede

nerve to 5 walking legs

Each nerve to a leg become bifurcated before entering the legs

 20

Ventral nerve cord

6 abdominal ganglion present.
each of the first 5 abdominal ganglia give rise to 3 pairs of nerve.

1 pair of 1 pair of
1 pair of
nerve to nerve to
pedal nerve
flexor extensor
to pleopods
muscles muscles

The last, abdominal ganglion is the largest composed of

several fused ganglia.

2 pairs of nerve to uropods

2 pairs of nerve to fexor muscle

2 pairs of nerve to telson

single median nerve to hindgut or rectum

Sympathetic nervous system

A small nerve, arising from brain ,bears two visceral ganglia lying one behind
the other. first ganglion is joined with two commissural ganglia by connectives.
second gives rise off two pairs of nerves to the wall of oesophagus and cardiac
stomach.
21
22
23
24