I'm sure if you google it, you will find the Latin species name for them. But what I know is that in general, shrimp are more often smaller than prawns. Also if you get fresh shrimp and look at the first pair of legs, you will see those have little pinchers. Prawns, on the other hand, have pinchers on the first three pairs of legs. That alone shows they are different species. If you ever eat them, side by side, you will be able to tell a difference in taste. Prawns, by and large, are more salty-tasting.