Malayan Stream Prawns
About the Malayan Stream Prawns in Singapore
Last updated 28 May 2026
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What are the Malayan Stream Prawns?
The Malayan Stream Prawns (Macrobrachium species) refers to several species of long-armed prawns native to Singapore's waterways.
Identifying features
Check out some identifying features of the Malayan Stream Prawns!
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The Malayan Stream Prawns has a generally translucent, brownish, or banded body that acts as perfect camouflage against sandy stream beds, topped with a prominent, jagged, horn-like "rostrum" pointing forward between its eyes. Its most dramatic feature, however, is the exceptionally long, spindly second pair of walking legs (claws), which can sometimes stretch longer than the prawn's entire body!
Habitat and ecology
The Malayan Stream Prawn is a bottom-dwelling resident of our clear forest streams and river systems. They use their long, delicate claws to expertly pick through the leaf litter and gravel, scavenging for dead plant matter, algae, and the remains of dead aquatic animals.
Did you know?
As they grow, they possess a hard exoskeleton that cannot stretch. To get bigger, they must periodically "molt," shedding their entire hard outer shell! For a few days after molting, their new shell is completely soft, making them highly vulnerable, so they must hide deep in the rocks until their new armor hardens.
Learn more about the Malayan Stream Prawns!
Curious about the Malayan Stream Prawns? Here are some interesting articles you can read to learn more about them.
