Recent research has shown that it could potentially be used as a biological control to reduce the rates of infection people living near rivers where this species occurs with schistosomiasis.

[2] Other identification features include the rostrum being equal to or shorter than the antennal scale; with the dorsal edge being convex over the eye and the tip having a short toothless portion.

[2] Macrobrachium vollenhoveni is endemic to West Africa from Senegal to Angola,[3] as well as the islands of Bioko, São Tomé and Cape Verde.

[5] After mating the females carry the eggs downstream from freshwater to the estuarine areas to spawn as the larvae must develop in saline water.

[6] M. vollenhoveni is omnivorous and the major part of its diet consists of plant materials, algae, diatoms, protozoa and invertebrates.

Studies have looked at the nutritional value of the prawns and the possible use of the rather unappetising shells as a sustainable source of meal to use as food in aquaculture systems.

The larger males were more effective in predating the snails so efforts were focussed on producing single sex generations which could be used to populate rivers.