The distinguishing features of Macrobrachium species include a carapace with a protruding rostrum, mandibles possessing a molar process with a triarticular palp, the first pair of pereiopods being chelate and slender, extending to the length of the carapace, and the second pair being chelate, often exceeding the entire body length in males. The remaining three pairs of pereiopods are simple. The telson is triangular, culminating in a single tip, and it exhibits hepatic and antennal spines, along with two pairs of spines on the dorsal surface. Identification is often challenging due to significant differences between male and female individuals, making the shape of the rostrum and the chelae of the second pair of pereiopods in males the most reliable characteristics for differentiation.