''Astacopsis'' is a genus of

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, mu ...

endemic to the island of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. There are three extant species, ''

Astacopsis gouldi ''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' ...

'', ''

Astacopsis franklinii ''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'' ...

'', and ''

Astacopsis tricornis ''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'' ...

''. 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 Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterwa ...

, except for the

Tamar River The Tamar River, officially kanamaluka / River Tamar, is a estuary located in northern Tasmania, Australia. Despite being called a river, the waterway is a brackish and tidal estuary over its entire length. Location and features Formed by the ...

. 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 William Buelow Gould (1801 – 11 December 1853) was an English and Van Diemonian (Tasmanian) painter. He was transported to Australia as a convict in 1827, after which he would become one of the most important early artists in the colony, desp ...

, 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 navigable by shallow-draft vessels. The main channel is kept clear by the ...

penal station circa 1832. Based on the location of observation and morphology evident in the image the specimen Gould painted was ''A. tricornis''. Contrary to popular belief, ''A. gouldi'' was not named after WB Gould, but was named by Ellen Clark after the first Tasmanian Government Geological Surveyor Charles Gould, who published observations on giant freshwater crayfish distribution, diet and habits in 1870.

Extant Species

References

External links

* Parastacidae Freshwater crustaceans of Australia {{Crayfish-stub