Abstract: This study aimed to isolate and characterize spoilage causing organisms of Macrobrachium vollenhovenii as well as determine the shelf-life under ice storage. Fresh prawns and those exposed to two ice treatments: Direct Contact with Ice (DCI) and Without Contact with Ice (WCI) were evaluated for changes in a 10 day period. Aerobic plate and coliform counts range of 6-7 and 5-7 log10 cfu g-1 were observed for DCI, 6-7 and 3-6 log10 cfu g-1 were recorded for WCI and 3-5 and 4-6 log10 cfu g-1 for the fresh prawn. Both ice treatments significantly (p<0.05) curtailed the presence of Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes and Salmonella sp. after 6 days of storage. Ice treatments were unable to control the psychrophilic microbes Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The population of these organisms particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa increased significantly (p<0.05) with storage days. The shelf-life of freshwater prawn as determined by microbiological data is 7 days of ice storage in this study. Pseudomonas aeruginosa promotes spoilage of freshwater prawn in the absence of H2S and indole producing bacteria Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli.