Macrobrachium nipponense (East Asian River Prawn) is a shrimp native to freshwaters and estuaries of eastern Asia, from northern China to Vietnam, including Japan and Taiwan.. Coastal populations live in brackish water, or bodies of freshwater close to estuaries, including small ponds and ditches, where their larvae can drift into brackish water, Inland populations can complete their life cycle in freshwater in rivers and lakes. usually in still waters, or with minimal currents.. Small variations in life history and morphology mean that M. nipponense could represent a species complex. This shrimp is omnivorous. feeding on algae, invertebrates, and detritus. In Asia, this species is popular for aquaculture, because of good flavor, in spite of its small size, It is also sold in the aquarium trade. Populations were introduced to Iran and the former Soviet Union for aquaculture in ponds or powerplant reservoirs, and became established in lagoons and wetlands adjacent to the Caspian Sea in Iran, and in estuaries near Odesa, Ukraine. Macrobrachium nipponense is established in coastal freshwaters in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. Possible vectors include ballast water and the aquarium trade.