Prawns and shrimps are an incredibly diverse group, with around 4000 species known from around the world, and about 900 in Australia. While they are primarily marine, they can be found in a variety of environments, ranging from intertidal pools to deep-sea hydrothermal vents; however they also are common in estuaries and fresh water. These crustaceans are both free-swimming and bottom-dwelling in habit, and sometimes commensal. An ancient group, their fossil record dates from the mid-Jurassic, around 180 million years ago.

Often the common names "prawn" and "shrimp" are used interchangeably. While there is no universally accepted difference amongst the general public, the terms represent two major biological divisions based on gill and limb anatomy. Specifically, caridean shrimps have claws on only their first two pairs of legs, while dendrobranchiate prawns have claws on the first three. The latter group also forms the basis of important commercial fisheries around the world. Prawn and shrimp species found in Queensland include:

• Banana Prawn (Penaeus merguiensis)
• Bruce's Hinge-beak Prawn (Rhynchocinetes brucei)
• Bold-spotted Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis)
• Brown Tiger Prawn (Penaeus esculentus)
• Eastern King Prawn (Penaeus plebejus)
• Pacific Clown Anemone Shrimp (Ancylocaris brevicarpalis)
• Spiny Tiger Shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophthalma)