Processing Yields for Malaysian Prawns and the Implications1

Processing yields for pond‐reared Malaysian prawns, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, were size and sex dependent. The percentage of tail weight yield decreased with increased prawn size. Female prawns provided significantly (P < .001) greater yields than males for all sizes. For example, 30 g females provided 49.7% tail weight as compared to 45.3% for males while 100 g females yielded 46.2% tail weight as compared to 38.1% for males. Tail meat yields (peeled tails) varied similarly. At a prawn size of 30 g, meat yields were 38.4 and 35.1% for females and males, respectively, while at a size of 100 g yields were 35.6 and 29.8%. Much of these differences in yields are related to the size and weight of the claws. Claws of females are small and provide a relatively constant percentage (2.8%) of body weight whereas claws of males are larger and provide an increasingly greater proportion of total body weight (i.e., males 20 g, 4.3% claw weight; 100 g, 14.3% claw weight). A table and nomograph are provided to serve as guides in determining the approximate tail weight or count size for prawns of a variety of sizes. In general, meat yields for Malaysian prawns are less than those obtained from penaeid shrimp, but greater than those obtained from crawfish and crabs. Similar to these species the marketing of prawns in the continental United States will probably involve both whole animals and tails only products.