Penaeid shrimp may exhibit specific behaviors depending on the type of habitat they occupy. For example, Penaeus merguiensis typically inhabits areas characterized by soft, muddy bottoms and high turbidity. This type of habitat may confer some protection from visual predators because of the restricted light penetration into the water. In these conditions, P. merguiensis does not exhibit strong burrowing behavior, and can forage at any time throughout a diel cycle. During periods of the tidal cycle when turbidity falls to a minimum, Penaeus merguiensis can form dense schools and generate intense, turbid patches known as "mud boils". This schooling behavior and turbidity generation may have survival value for this non-burrowing species by reducing predation pressure at times of low turbidity. The majority of penaeid species, however, do not exhibit schooling behavior except possibly during emigration from estuaries (Bailey-Brock & Moss, 1992).

In contrast, shrimp inhabiting clearer waters, with more intense predation from visual predators, often exhibit stronger burrowing behavior and are active only at night. Penaeus japonicus and P. duorarum exhibit these characteristics (Bailey-Brock & Moss, 1992).

Geographical distribution of commercially important species in the Indo-Pacific region