In Asian countries, particularly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, the freshwater prawn species M. malcolmsonii, M. rosenbergii, and M. gangeticum are of special interest for aquaculture.

Being an indigenous fresh water river species M. malcolmsonii is more tolerant to environmental fluctuations and comparatively more resistant to contaminants.

It has been extensively studied and reported that induction of cytochrome P450 protein related ethoxyresorufin –O- deethylase (EROD)enzyme is successfully involved in the metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fishes.

Comp.Biochem.Physiol (B) 121-3: 273-277 3)Arun Solayan and Subramanian Periasamy (2007) Cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase system mediated hydrocarbon metabolism and antioxidant enzyme responses in prawn, Macrobrachium malcolmsonii .Comp.

Biochem and Physiol( C): 145- 4, 610-616 4)Arun Solayan , P. Subramanian and A. Rajendran (2006) subcellular/tissue distribution and responses to oil exposure of the cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase system and glutathione S-transferase in freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium malcolmsonii, M. lamarrei lamarrei) Ecotoxicology, 15-4:341-346 5)Arun Solayan , P. Subramanian and A. Rajendran Ethoxyresorufin – O - deethylase activity in oil effluent exposed crustacea ( Macrobrachium malcolmsonii ).