Скачать или смотреть Sydney Giant Spiny Crayfish (Euastacus spinifer)

The Giant Spiny Crayfish (Euastacus spinifer) is one of two species of freshwater spiny crayfish found in the Sydney region. Although they are often referred to as Yabbies, they are distinctively different from the true Yabbie (Cherax destructor). Along the bottom edge of the claws in all Euastacus crayfish there are spines present, whereas in other types of freshwater crayfish this edge is completely smooth.

Spiny Crayfish (Euastacus sp.) are slow growing, can take 5–10 years to reach sexual maturity and can live to a very old age in excess of 40 years -- please give this some serious thought if you are intent on catching them to eat! In this regard they are very different to their Yabby cousins which grow, mature and reproduce very quickly making them a commercially viable farming proposition.

Once Giant Spiny Crayfish reach a reasonable size they are no longer suitable as prey for platypus, eels, cormorants, fish etc and they may then become the dominant predator within a creek system. The Giant Spiny Crayfish is found in coastal rivers and streams from the Hastings River at Port Macquarie, NSW south to the Clyde River at Bateman's Bay. It is also found in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

Euastacus crayfish are endemic to the east coast of Australia and there are more than 50 species recorded. The Giant Spiny Crayfish has quite a large distribution, however many other species have very small ranges, many of which are under threat from logging and clearing of native vegetation, siltation, pollution, the threat of introduced fish such as trout, and heavy fishing pressure from recreational fisherman.

CAAB Taxon Code: 28 795027