Penaeid prawns frequently use seagrass habitats as nursery areas.
Prawns play an important role in many shallow water ecosystems, and also provide the basis for many important fisheries.
Habitat selection has been intensively studied in the juveniles of several species of penaeid prawns, although this work has concentrated on species that predominantly occur in seagrasses or other vegetation.
Other species, however, seem to avoid vegetated areas, and prefer to live on unvegetated intertidal sand- and mud-flats.
Metapendeus affinis in Kuwait follows tidal fronts, spending most of its time in intertidal areas.
This behaviour may occur because these areas have few predators.
In Australia, juvenile Melicertus latistulcatus occur predominantly on intertidal sand- and mud-flats, generally located between shallow subtidal/intertidal seagrass beds and mangrove higher on the shoreline.
In East Africa, however, the same species often occurs among seagrasses.
The larger densities reported on intertidal sand- and mud-flats in Australia may occur because of active selection of habitat, decreased survival in seagrass, or may be a reflection of inadequate sampling of seagrass.