Family penaeidae includes majority of the commercial marine shrimps. There are also few species of commercial importance belonging to the families Solenoceridae, Sergestidae and Carideae. They are commercially exploited mostly by single and multiday trawlers.
Major commercial coastal species are Penaeus indicus, Penaeus monodon, Metapenaeus dobsoni, Penaeus semisulcatus, Metapenaeus monocoeros, Metapenaeus affinis, Penaeus canaliculatus, Penaeus japonicus, Penaeus pencillatus, Penaeus merguiensis and Parapenaeopsis stylifera. Besides species belonging to genera Metapenaeopsis, Trachysalambria and Solenocera also form minor fishery in some maritime states. The juveniles except P. stylifera are caught from estuaries/backwaters using stakenets, bagnets etc. along with other fishes. They complete their life cycle in two phases- in the sea and in the estuaries/backwaters. They move to the sea from the estuaries to spawn. P. stylifera are stenohaline and complete their life cycle in the sea
