Abstract Wnt4 (Wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 4) has been demonstrated to play critical roles in a wide variety of biological processes, including embryonic development, cell proliferation, and differentiation in vertebrates, but its function in crustaceans is still not clear. In the present study, the full-length wnt4 cDNA sequence was cloned and characterized for the ridgetail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda. The expression patterns of the wnt4 mRNA in embryos and larvae at different stages were investigated. The tissue distribution showed that wnt4 was obviously expressed in eyestalk and hepatopancreas. During embryonic development, the wnt4 was highly expressed in all developmental stages except the zygote, two-cell stage, and late zoaea stage. The wnt4 mRNA was expressed in Z1-Z5 and post-larval stages. Taken together, the present study indicates that the wnt4 gene may be involved in the regulation of embryonic and larval development in the ridgetail white prawn.