To determine the optimal salinity for growth and fi rst sexual maturity of Exopalaemon carinicauda, the effects of salinity on growth and reproductive performance of early juvenile prawns of E. carinicauda were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Postlarvae from the same female broodstock were reared at six salinity levels(5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30) for 12 weeks. The specifi c growth rate(SGR) and survival rate(SR) under different salinity levels in the fi rst 6 weeks were calculated and compared. SGR was signifi cantly infl uenced by salinity. Prawns reared in salinity of 10 grew signifi cantly faster( P <0.05) than those reared in salinities of 5, 20, 25, and 30. However, ANOVA confi rmed that there was no signifi cant effect among the six salinity levels on SR. For the next 6 weeks, the body length(BL), body weight(BW) at the fi rst sexual maturity, and the age at median sexual maturity(A 50) of females were measured and compared. Female prawns reared at salinity of 10 presented signifi cantly shorter A 50, but no signifi cant differences among the six salinity levels for BL and BW at the fi rst sexual maturity were observed. Based on the above information, the optimal salinity for growth and fi rst sexual maturity of juvenile E. carinicauda is approximately 10. To determine the optimal salinity for growth and fi rst sexual maturity of Exopalaemon carinicauda, ​​the effects of salinity on growth and reproductive performance of early juvenile prawns of E. carinicauda were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Postlarvae from the same female broodstock were reared at six salinity Levels (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30) for 12 weeks. The specific growth rate (SGR) and survival rate signifi cantly infl uenced by salinity. Prawns reared in salinity of 10 increased signifi cantly faster (P <0.05) than those reared in salinities of 5, 20, 25, and 30. However, ANOVA confi rmed that there was no signifi cant effect among the six salinity levels on SR. For the next 6 weeks, the body length (BL), body weight (BW) at the fi rst sexual maturity, and the age at median sexual maturity (A 50) of females were measured and compared. Female prawns reared at salinity of 10 presented signifi cantly shorter A 50, but no signifi cant differences among the six salinity levels for BL and BW at the fi rst sexual maturity were observed. Based on the above information, the optimal salinity for growth and fi rst sexual maturity of juvenile E. carinicauda is approximately 10.