June Critter of the Month:
Western King Prawn
(Melicertus latisulcatus)
Western King Prawns are abundant in our river right now, and (in the opinion of this author) – are THE most delicious prawns to eat on the entire planet! 🍽.
They live for 2-4 years, and have:
🦐 a head (carapace);
🦐 a tail;
🦐 5 pairs of swimming legs;
🦐 5 pairs of walking legs (with claws on the front 3 pairs); &
🦐 an external skeleton made from calcium carbonate and chitin, which they must shed so they can grow.
King prawns are sensitive to light 🔦☀️ so they bury themselves during the day and feed actively at night (vs. Tiger prawns, who tend to be active day and night). You can spot them hiding in the sediment by looking for their two red eyes
Prawns are schooling invertebrates, and it seems we have some big schools around at the moment – particularly in the Swan River… there’s no better time to grab a net and catch a feed! 🍽
If you’d like a crash course in catching these tasty invertebrates (or if you need a prawn net) – pop into the store and we can help! 😊