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Abstract

Studies on the morphological characterization of the African river prawn, Macrobrachium vollenhovenii and the brackish water prawn, Macrobrachium macrobrachion from Badagry Creek in Southwest Nigeria were carried out. Samples of M. vollenhovenii n 275 and M. macrobrachion n 790 were collected from Badagry Creek. Morphometric analysis showed that M. vollenhovenii and M. macrobrachion exhibited positive allometric growth with 147b148 values of 3.11 and 2.58, respectively. M. vollenhovenii 6.293.48 g was larger than M. macrobrachion 4.752.43 g. The males of both species were larger than the females. The correlation between Total Length TL and Body Weight BW was high and positive M. vollenhovenii, r 0.95 M. macrobrachion, r 0.87. A significant p0.05 positive correlation occurred between TL and Carapace Length, CL M. vollenhovenii, r 0.83 M. macrobrachion, r 0.66 and between TL and rostral length, RL M. vollenhovenii, r 0.73 M. macrobrachion, r 0.79. Dorsally, M. vollenhovenii and M. macrobrachion had 6-14 mean 9.841.35 and 7-15 mean 9.380.84 rostral spines, respectively while on the ventral side of the rostrum, M. vollenhovenii had 3-8 spines mean 5.150.76 and M. macrobrachion had 3-10 spines mean 5.340.61. Female M. macrobrachion and M. vollenhovenii predominated with sex ratios of 13.73 p0.05 and 11.05 p0.05, respectively. There appears to be exploitation pressure on these prawns in Badagry Creek. Therefore, there is need for some management measures to be taken.