Biodiversity, Biogeography and Conservation of Freshwater, Estuarine and Marine Shrimp in India with an Updated Taxonomy

Radhakrishnan, E V (2026) Biodiversity, Biogeography and Conservation of Freshwater, Estuarine and Marine Shrimp in India with an Updated Taxonomy. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 42. pp. 1-62. ISSN 2366-1674

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Abstract

India has an enormous diversity of freshwater and marine shrimps that occupy a range of ecosystems, including rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans. Compiling a comprehensive inventory of documented species with information on their biogeography and habitat is a challenge. Furthermore, key changes in the reclassification of the taxa necessitated taxonomic revisions to families, genera, and species. The updated list of shrimps in India, including the two island systems, comprises 599 species in 58 families and 185 genera, representing an increase of 161 species since 2012. The dataset reveals high species richness in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal (211 species), as well as the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea (102 species). Of the 599 species, 92 ( 15%) are endemic to India. Other regions rich in diversity include the Gulf of Mannar on the southeast coast (61 species) and the Gulf of Kachchh on the northwest coast of India (39 species). Species described after 2000 include 28 species from the Indian EEZ, seven of which are from the Lakshadweep Islands. The families with the greatest species richness are Palaemonidae (159 species), Penaeidae (88 species), and Alpheidae (59 species). Together, freshwater and estuarine shrimps account for 133 species. Among the 67 species/subspecies of Macrobrachium recorded from India, 36 are endemic. Similarly, 16 of the 33 species of Caridina, are endemic and occur across several Indian states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Among the 159 palaemonids, symbiotic shrimps account for 46%, and the majority were documented from the Lakshadweep Islands. This work discusses current challenges to conservation and suggests ways forward for preserving marine and freshwater shrimp biodiversity. This robust dataset not only highlights the impressive diversity and regional endemism of marine shrimp in India but also addresses the taxonomic challenges faced by researchers.

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