| Melicertus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Dendrobranchiata |
| Family: | Penaeidae |
| Genus: | Melicertus Rafinesque, 1814 |
| Type species | |
| Melicertus tigrinus as a synonym of Melicertus kerathurus Rafinesque-Schmaltz, 1814 p. 22 | |
Melicertus is a genus of "king" prawns, comprising eight species which were previously classified as members of the genus Penaeus:
In 2023, based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis by Yang et al., Chan proposed a reclassification of Peneaus into eleven subgenera. In this system, only the East-Atlantic type species Melicertus kerathurus is retained in Peneaus (Melicertus). The new proposed subgenus Penaeus (Oleopenaeus) contains P. (O.) hathor P. (O.) latisulcatus, and P. (O.) plebejus. Penaeus (Plagosopenaeus) canaliculatus, Penaeus (Altiopeneaus) marginatus, and Penaeus (Ischiopenaeus) longistylus (subgenera nova) are monospecific. The "enigmatic" M. similis is believed to represent juveniles of P. (I.) longistylus.