Barrier nets down the banks of inshore creeks support localised fisheries along the northern Maharashtra coast. The fishery in Rajpuri creek targeting juveniles of penaeid prawns and fishes is described. Occurrence of penaeid prawn Metapenaeus moyebi and its biology is reported for the first time along the northwest coast of India. It occurs seasonally in small quantity in trawl catches also. The size composition, growth, food and feeding and length-weight relationship of the species are described. The reproductive biology in relation to size at maturity, spawning season and spawning area indicate spawning migrations to the sea. The generation time is six months and the species exhibited two generations annually, with summer and winter cohorts.

Metapenaeus moyebi, spawning migrations, generation time, reproductive biology