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Parastacidae
The Parastacidae are the family of freshwater crayfish found in the Southern Hemisphere. The family is a classic Gondwana-distributed taxon, with extant members in South America, Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea, and extinct taxa also in Antarctica. Distribution Three genera are found in Chile, ''Virilastacus'', '' Samastacus'' and '' Parastacus'', the last of which also occurs disjunctly in southern Brazil and Uruguay. There are no crayfish native to continental Africa, but seven species on Madagascar, all of the genus '' Astacoides''. Australasia is particularly rich in crayfish. The small genus ''Paranephrops'' is endemic to New Zealand. The genera ''Astacopsis'' is endemic to Tasmania, while a further two are found on either side of the Bass Strait – '' Geocharax'' and ''Engaeus''. The greatest diversity, however, is found on the Australian mainland. Three genera are endemic and have restricted distributions (''Engaewa'', '' Gramastacus'' and ''Tenuib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crayfish
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mudbugs, baybugs or yabbies. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some species are found in brooks and streams, where fresh water is running, while others thrive in swamps, ditches, and paddy fields. Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water, although some species, such as ''Procambarus clarkii'', are hardier. Crayfish feed on animals and plants, either living or decomposing, and detritus. The term "crayfish" is applied to saltwater species in some countries. Terminology The name "crayfish" comes from the Old French word ' (Modern French '). The word has been modified to "crayfish" by association with "fish" (folk etymology). The largely American ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astacoides
''Astacoides'' is a genus of freshwater crayfish endemic to Madagascar. The first specimens were brought to Europe in 1839, and seven species are now recognised, most of which are considered as threatened on the IUCN Red List. They are large and slow-growing, and are threatened by habitat loss, overexploitation by local people and by spread of introduced non-indigenous marbled crayfish (''Procambarus virginalis''). They are only found in a relatively small part of the island, mostly in undisturbed upland areas. They belong to the Gondwana-distributed family Parastacidae, but their nearest relatives live in Australasia, there being no native crayfish in mainland Africa or India. Description ''Astacoides'' species are large for freshwater crayfish, reaching a carapace length of up to in the case of ''A. betsileoensis''. Males and females are similar, except for the organs directly involved in reproduction. Thomas Henry Huxley, in his book ''The Crayfish'', noted that ''Astacoides'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virilastacus
''Virilastacus'' is a genus of freshwater burrowing crayfish species endemic to Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas .... It has four described species. The first species was described in 1914, but since 2005, three other species have been added to this genus. Species *''Virilastacus araucanius'' Faxon, 1914 *''Virilastacus jarai'' Erich H. Rudolph and Keith A. Crandall, 2012 *''Virilastacus retamali'' Erich H. Rudolph1 and Keith A. Crandall, 2007 *''Virilastacus rucapihuelensis'' Rudolph and Crandall, 2005http://oldredlist.iucnredlist.org/details/153746/0 IUCNRedlist.org/ References {{Taxonbar, from=Q18395466 Parastacidae Freshwater crustaceans of South America Edible crustaceans ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cherax
''Cherax'', commonly known as yabby/yabbies in Australia, is the most widespread genus of fully aquatic crayfish in the Southern Hemisphere. Various species of cherax may be found in both still and flowing bodies of freshwater across most of Australia and New Guinea. Together with ''Euastacus'', it is also the largest crayfish genus in the Southern Hemisphere. Habitat Members of the cherax genus can be found in lakes, rivers, and streams across most of Australia and New Guinea. The most common and widely distributed species in Australia is the common yabby (''C. destructor''). It is generally found in lowland rivers and streams, lakes, swamps, and impoundments at low to medium altitude, largely within the Murray–Darling Basin. Common yabbies are found in many ephemeral waterways, and can survive dry conditions for long periods of time (at least several years) by aestivating (lying dormant) in burrows sunk deep into muddy creek and swamp beds. In New Guinea, ''Cherax'' cra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Swamp Crayfish
The eastern swamp crayfish (''Gramastacus lacus'') is a species of small freshwater crayfish from coastal New South Wales, Australia. It is distinguished from related species by large genital papilla on the males, large raised postorbital ridges, a laterally compressed carapace, and elongated chelae. Etymology The specific name is derived from Latin '' lacus'', referring to the coastal lakes that the species is found in. Before it was formally described it was known by the common name "lake yabby". Discovery Specimens of ''Gramastacus lacus'' were first discovered in the Ramsar wetlands of Myall Lakes National Park. More specimens were collected as part of the Australian Crayfish Project, starting in 2005. Description The species reaches a maximum weight of and a length of . The vast majority of specimens are smaller, with the average weight being around to . The rostum is long and narrow with a spine at the apex. The abdomen is smooth and unarmored, and thinly cover ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samastacus
''Samastacus'' is a genus of southern crawfish in the family Parastacidae. It has a single species, ''Samastacus spinifrons''. This species is found in Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ..., in the region of Talcahuano, south towards the Taitao Peninsula and the Island of Chiloé. It occurs in the rivers and streams of Maipo River basin to the north, and can be found in most of the Aconcagua River and tributaries. In addition, it is found in Lake Nahuel-Huapi, Argentina. It digs shallow burrows in tranquil water along river banks and lakes. References Further reading * External links * Parastacidae {{decapod-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palaeoechinastacus
''Palaeoechinastacus australianus'' is a species of freshwater crayfish known from Early Cretaceous fossils from Victoria, Australia. Specimens and stratigraphy ''Palaeoechinastacus'' is known from one partial body fossil, which is the holotype, and has been deposited in the National Museum of Victoria in Melbourne as lot number NMV-P186041. Two specimens, each showing a single chela (claw) were deposited as lots NMV-P186042 and NMV-P186009, but are not part of the type series, and are therefore considered to be "hypotypes". The body fossils were collected in 1987 and 1989, but it is not known exactly who found them. In addition, a number of trace fossils of burrow-like structures were found in a similar geological setting, and may be related to ''Palaeoechinastacus''. Holotype The holotype was collected at Dinosaur Cove on the Victoria coast from "a fine-grained lithic sandstone" of the Otway Group. The rocks are thought to have formed from a river channel, and date from the Al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aenigmastacus
''Aenigmastacus crandalli'' is a species of fossil freshwater crayfish. It was found in early Eocene Okanagan Highlands lake deposits in British Columbia, and was described in 2011. It is the first member of the Gondwana-distributed family Parastacidae to be found in the Northern Hemisphere, and is the only species in the genus ''Aenigmastacus''. Twelve specimens are known, with a total body length of . On some specimens, details of the internal anatomy can be seen due to the exceptional preservation. Origin and description ''Aenigmastacus'' was discovered in the Tranquille Formations McAbee Fossil Beds of British Columbia, Canada,Feldmann ''et al.'' (2011), p. 320 at . The McAbee beds comprise a thickness of siliceous sediments within a sequence dominated by volcaniclastic rocks. They are formed from lake deposits, based on the presence of five families of freshwater fish and other terrestrial taxa, and the fossil-bearing sediments have been dated to the Ypresian (Lower Eoc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astacopsis
''Astacopsis'' is a genus of crayfish endemic to the island of Tasmania. There are three extant species, ''Astacopsis gouldi'', ''Astacopsis franklinii'', and ''Astacopsis tricornis''. All are threatened by illegal harvesting, and ''A. gouldi'' is protected by law. ''A. franklinii'' is found in the eastern half of the island, with ''A. tricornis'' taking its place in the west. ''A. gouldi'' is found only in rivers draining into the Bass Strait, except for the Tamar River. The three species were named by naturalist Ellen Clark in 1936. Prior to Clark's revision, all three species were collectively known as ''Astacopsis franklinii''. The most famous depiction of a crayfish of the genus ''Astacopsis'' is in the "Sketchbook of fishes" by convict artist William Buelow Gould, painted at the Macquarie Harbour Macquarie Harbour is a shallow fjord in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. It is approximately , and has an average depth of , with deeper places up to . It is navig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Engaewa
''Engaewa'' is a genus of burrowing crayfish belonging to the family Parastacidae. There are five recognised species, all endemism, endemic to the high-rainfall zone of south-west Western Australia, from Dunsborough, Western Australia, Dunsborough to Albany, Western Australia, Albany. They are all small (up to 5 cm), and found only in fresh water, freshwater swamps and seepages. Three of the five species are listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and are listed on the IUCN Red List as "endangered" (EN) or "critically endangered" (CR), while the remaining two are listed as "Least Concern": References Parastacidae Endemic fauna of Southwest Australia Freshwater crustaceans of Australia Warren bioregion {{Crayfish-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euastacus
''Euastacus'' is a genus of freshwater crayfish known as "spiny crayfish". They are found in the south-east of the Australian mainland, along with another genus of crayfish, ''Cherax''. Both genera are members of the family Parastacidae, a family of freshwater crayfish restricted to the Southern Hemisphere. ''Euastacus'' crayfish are distinguished from the smooth-shelled ''Cherax'' species by the short robust spikes on their claws and carapace, and frequently, their larger size. Many ''Euastacus'' species grow to a relatively large size, with the Murray River crayfish (''Euastacus armatus'') being the second largest freshwater crayfish species in the world. (The largest freshwater crayfish in the world is the Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish (''Astacopsis gouldi''), found on the Australian island of Tasmania, and the genus ''Astacopsis'' is now known to be a very closely related sister genus to ''Euastacus''.) The genera ''Cherax'' and ''Euastacus'' continue a trend pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cherax Pulcher
''Cherax pulcher'' is a species of crayfish from West Papua in Indonesia. It is popular as a freshwater aquarium species across Asia, Europe, and North America.Patoka, J., Kalous, L., & Kopecký, O. (2015). Imports of ornamental crayfish: the first decade from the Czech Republic’s perspective. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, (416), 04. Etymology The specific name is derived from the Latin word ''pulcher'', which means "beautiful". The name was chosen due to the species' bright coloration. Discovery The species was first observed being sold for aquariums, where it was ascertained that it likely represented a new species. However, it proved difficult to track down, as dealers' claims as to its location proved difficult to corroborate. It was eventually traced to the Bird's Head Peninsula in New Guinea, where a number of specimens were collected with the help of the Maju Aquarium in Jakarta. Description Males of the species measure in length, while female ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
