Dendrobranchiata is a suborder of
decapod crustaceans, variously called
shrimp or
prawns. There are 540 extant species in seven families, and a
fossil record extending back to the
Devonian. They differ from related animals, such as
Caridea and
Stenopodidea, by the branching form of the
gills and by the fact that they do not brood their eggs, but release them directly into the water. They may reach a length of over and a mass of , and are widely
fished and
farmed for human consumption.