ABSTRACT The freshwater shrimp genus Macrobrachium is highly diverse, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, and of considerable commercial importance in many countries. Here we present the results of an analysis of the scientific production regarding Macrobrachium published between 1980 and 2016 in the database Web of Science. The evaluated indicators were key words and authors producing the scientific literature about this genus. Concept maps and cluster analysis techniques were used to display the relationships between them. The results of the study visualize the temporal development of scientific knowledge of the genus Macrobrachium and describe the development of authorship networks during 36 years study period. Moreover, the results of the analysis show emerging research trends in the field of Macrobrachium studies.