Giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) care guide

Group
Shrimp
Other names
Giant freshwater prawn, Malaysian prawn, Freshwater scampi, Cherabin, Palaemon rosenbergii
Family
Palaemonidae
Origin
Tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific, from India through Southeast Asia to northern Australia; widely farmed
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
34 cm
Temperature
24–30°C
pH
7–8.5
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
aggressive

Care

The giant river prawn is one of the largest freshwater prawns in the world and is farmed throughout the tropics for food. Males reach about 34 cm in total length and females about 26 cm. Young prawns are greenish with faint vertical stripes; adults are mostly brown, with a long toothed rostrum. Mature males develop a hugely long second pair of legs ending in claws, and come in three types in a strict pecking order: small males, orange-claw males and dominant blue-claw males. This is not a community-tank shrimp. A juvenile bought at a few centimetres will grow into a large, powerful predator that needs a very big, covered tank of its own, with caves and cover for moulting. Our sources give no water figures; the ones here are general guidance for a tropical prawn, not from a source: warm water around 24–30 °C, neutral to slightly alkaline, very good filtration and frequent water changes because it eats heavily. Keep one per tank, or a pair in a very large tank; males in particular fight. It is a nocturnal scavenger and hunter. It moults as it grows and is vulnerable until the new shell hardens, so it must have a secure hiding place. Copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most invertebrates. The species has become established outside its range in parts of Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean and Asia after escapes from farms. Never release it. Sources: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobrachiumrosenbergii). Checked October 2026.

Diet

An omnivorous scavenger and predator. Feed sinking pellets, prawn and catfish pellets, frozen mussel, prawn, fish, bloodworm and blanched vegetables. It will catch and eat any fish, snail or shrimp it can reach, and will dig up and shred plants.

Breeding

Males are larger with much longer, thicker second legs; females have smaller claws and a broader abdomen. The male places a sperm packet on the underside of the female after her moult, and she carries 10,000–50,000 eggs, up to five times a year, until they hatch in under three weeks. The larvae must live in brackish water, passing through several stages over about a month before turning into post-larvae, which then move back into fresh water. Breeding in a home aquarium therefore needs a separate brackish rearing set-up and live foods, and is rarely attempted outside fish farms.

Compatibility and tank mates

Unsuitable for community aquaria. It will kill and eat small fish, sleeping fish, other shrimp, snails and smaller prawns, and adult males fight each other. Large, fast, robust fish that stay off the bottom may be tried in a very large tank, but losses are likely. Best kept alone.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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