This work presents a study of the taxonomy of the penaeidean shrimps of the world. This group of shrimps includes many of the commercially important marine species of the tropics and subtropics, as well as many of the species that constitute a major link in the food chain of the oceans. The book presents keys for the identification of seven families (Aristeidae, Benthesicymidae, Penaeidae, Sicyoniidae, Solenoceridae, Luciferidae and Sergestidae) and 56 genera, as well as diagnoses that attempt to define these taxa with scientific clarity. Also included are lists of the species and subspecies currently included in these genera, along with their geographic distribution, and a full bibliography.