• Parastacidae Huxley, T.H. 1879. On the classification and the distribution of the crayfishes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878: 752-788 [771, 775].
• Austroastacidae Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [8].
• Euastacidae Riek, E.F. 1959. The Australian freshwater Crustacea. Monographiae Biologicae 8: 246–258 [255].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Hobbs, H.H., Jr 1974. Synopsis of the families and genera of crayfish. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No. 164: i-iii, 1-32 [18]
• Crandall, K.A. & De Grave, S. 2017. An updated classification of the freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidea) of the world, with a complete species list. Journal of Crustacean Biology 37(5): 615–653 [22]

Introduction

The freshwater crayfish consist of two monophyletic groupings corresponding to the superfamilies Parastacoidea (the Southern Hemisphere crayfish) and Astacoidea (Northern Hemisphere crayfish). Parastacids have a Gondwanan distribution, being found in New Zealand, Madagascar, southern New Guinea and South America, but it is in Australia that they reach their greatest diversity. Of the 15 recognised genera, ten are known from Australia. All Australian genera are endemic except for Cherax which extends northwards into New Guinea. Of the approximately 160 recognised species, 142 are known only from Australia. Tenuibranchiurus glypticus, fully grown at about 4 cm in length, is one of the smallest crayfish known, while at the other end of the scale, Astacopsis gouldi from Tasmania, is the world's largest, measuring up to 76 cm long and weighing 4.5 kg.

The foundational work on Australian Parastacidae was undertaken by Dr Edgar Riek who published five papers between 1951 and 1972. Subsequently, several important works have revised, or contributed to, particular genera: Astacopsis (Hamr 1992); Cherax (Sokol 1988; Short 1991, 1993; Short & Davie 1993; Campbell et al. 1994); Gramastacus (Zeidler & Adams 1990); Engaeus (Horwitz 1990a, 1994); Engaewa (Horwitz & Adams 2000); Euastacus (Morgan 1986, 1988, 1989, 1997; Short & Davie 1993; various works by Coughran). A recent significant alteration to genus level taxonomy has seen the genus Parastacoides (sensu Sumner 1978) sunk into synonymy, and the creation of two new genera Spinastacoides and Ombrastacoides by Hansen & Richardson (2006). The colour field guide of McCormack (2008) for the freshwater crayfish of New South Wales is an excellent identification resource. Recently there has been interest in the phylogenetic relationships of Australian parastacids, using molecular genetics techniques (particularly for Euastacus), with important papers published by Crandall et al. (1995), Crandall & Fitzpatrick (1996), Lawler & Crandall (1998), Ponniah & Hughes (1998, 2004, 2006), and Shull et al. (2005).

The ecology and conservation of parastacids is also receiving some much needed attention with interesting publications from Horwitz & Richardson (1986), Horwitz (1990b), Merrick (1995), and most recently, important assessments by O’Brien (2007), Coughran & Furze (2010), and Furze & Coughran (2011a,b,c). Euastacus species are considered to be under greatest threat from anthropomorphic impacts, including climate change, because of their unique biogeography, with narrow home ranges and often with distributions restricted to single mountain top catchments (particularly towards the tropics). The assessment of the conservation status of Australian Euastacus under IUCN criteria by Coughran & Furze (2010) reported four species as 'Endangered' and a further eight species as 'Critically Endangered'. However, as yet no specific conservation measures are in place for any Euastacus species. Research is needed, and should include population assessment and monitoring, biological and life history information, habitat requirements, investigations into thermal tolerance, and resilience to effects of exotic species (Coughran & Furze 2010).

Diagnosis

Small to moderately large crayfish. Carapace lacking dorsomedian, longitudinal suture or ridge in cardiac and posterior gastric regions. Sternal plate between fifth pereiopods not fused with sternal complex anteriorly. Telson never completely divided by transverse suture; exopod of uropods with transverse suture. Podobranchiae of first three pereiopods not differentiated into branchial and epipoditic portions and lacking bilobed plaited laminae; epipodite of first maxilliped usually with branchial filaments. Articles of lateral ramus of antennule never with more than one cluster of asthetascs. First pleopod absent in both male and female; second pleopod similar to third. Eggs large, larvae hatching as miniatures of adult. Restricted to freshwater. (After Hobbs 1974).

General References

Campbell, N.J.H., Geddes, M.C. & Adams, M. 1994. Genetic variation in yabbies, Cherax destructor and C. albidus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), indicates the presence of a single, highly sub-structured species. Australian Journal of Zoology 42(6): 745-760

Coughran, J. & Furse, J.M. 2010. An assessment of genus Euastacus (49 species) versus IUCN Red List criteria. A Report Prepared for the Global Species Conservation Assessment of Lobsters and Freshwater Crayfish for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (International Association of Astacology: iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/iaa/publications.htm). pp.

Crandall, K.A., Fetzner Jr, J.W., Lawler, S.H., Kinnersley, M. & Austin, C.M. 1999. Phylogenetic relationships among the Australian and New Zealand genera of freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda : Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 47: 199–214

Crandall, K.A., Lawler, S.H. & Austin, C.M. 1995. A preliminary examination of the molecular phylogenetic relationships of some crayfish genera from Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Freshwater Crayfish 10: 18-30

Crandall, K.A. & Fitzpatrick, J.F. Jr 1996. Crayfish molecular systematics: using a combination of procedures to estimate phylogeny. Systematic Biology 45(1): 1-26

Furse, J.M. & Coughran, J. 2011. An assessment of the distribution, biology, threatening processes and conservation status of the freshwater crayfish, genus Euastacus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in continental Australia. I. Biological background and current status. Crustacea Monographs: New Frontiers in Crustacean Research 2011: 241-252

Furse, J.M. & Coughran, J. 2011. An assessment of the distribution, biology, threatening processes and conservation status of the freshwater crayfish, genus Euastacus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in continental Australia. II. Threats, conservation assessments and key findings. Crustacea Monographs: New Frontiers in Crustacean Research 2011: 253-263

Furse, J.M. & Coughran, J. 2011. An assessment of the distribution, biology, threatening processes and conservation status of the freshwater crayfish, genus Euastacus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in continental Australia. III. Case studies and recommendations. Crustacea Monographs: New Frontiers in Crustacean Research 2011: 265-274

Hamr, P. 1992. A revision of the Tasmanian freshwater crayfish genus Astacopsis Huxley (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 126: 91-94

Hobbs, H.H., Jr 1974. Synopsis of the families and genera of crayfish. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No. 164: i-iii, 1-32

Horwitz, P. 1990. A taxonomic revision of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4(3): 427-614

Horwitz, P. 1990. The conservation status of Australian freshwater Crustacea with a provisional list of threatened species, habitats and potentially threatened processes. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service Report Series 14: 1-121

Horwitz, P. 1994. A new species of the freshwater crayfish Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) from north-western Tasmania. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 54(2): 439-445

Horwitz, P. & Adams, M. 2000. The systematics, biogeography and conservation status of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaewa Riek (Decapoda: Parastacidae) from south-western Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy 14: 655-680

Horwitz, P.H.J. & Richardson, A.M.M. 1986. An ecological classification of the burrows of Australian freshwater crayfish. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 37: 237-342

Lawler, S.H. & Crandall, K.A. 1998. The relationship of the Australian freshwater crayfish genera Euastacus and Astacopsis. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 119: 1-8

McCormack, R.B. 2008. The Freshwater Crayfish of New South Wales, Australia. Karuah, NSW : Australian Aquatic Biological Pty Ltd.

Merrick, J.R. 1995. Diversity, distribution and conservation of freshwater crayfishes in the eastern highlands of New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 115: 247-258

Morgan, G.J. 1986. Freshwater crayfish of the genus Euastacus Clark (Decapoda, Parastacidae) from Victoria. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 47(1): 1-57

Morgan, G.J. 1988. Freshwater crayfish of the genus Euastacus Clark (Decapoda: Parastacidae) from Queensland. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 49(1): 1-49

Morgan, G.J. 1989. Two new species of the freshwater crayfish Euastacus Clark (Decapoda: Parastacidae) from isolated high country of Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 27(2): 555-562

Morgan, G.J. 1997. Freshwater crayfish of the genus Euastacus Clark (Decapoda: Parastacidae) from New South Wales, with a key to all species of the genus. Records of the Australian Museum 23: 1-110

O'Brien, M.B. 2007. Freshwater and terrestrial crayfish (Decapoda, Parastacidae) of Victoria, status, conservation, threatening processes and bibliography. Victorian Naturalist (Melbourne) 14(4): 210-229

Ponniah, M. & Hughes, H.M. 2006. The evolution of Queensland spiny mountain crayfish of the genus Euastacus. II. Investigating simultaneous vicariance with intraspecific genetic data. Marine and Freshwater Research 57(3): 349-362

Ponniah, M. & Hughes, J.M. 1998. Evolution of Queensland spiny mountain crayfish of the genus Euastacus Clark (Decapoda: Parastacidae): preliminary 16s mtDNA phylogeny. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 119: 9-19

Ponniah, M. & Hughes, J.M. 2004. The evolution of Queensland spiny mountain crayfish of the genus Euastacus. I. Testing vicariance and dispersal with interspecific mitochondrial DNA. Evolution 58(5): 1073-1085

Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388

Riek, E.F. 1956. Additions to the Australian freshwater crayfish. Records of the Australian Museum 24: 1-6

Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121

Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918

Riek, E.F. 1972. The phylogeny of the Parastacidae (Crustacea: Astacoidea), and description of a new genus of Australian freshwater crayfishes. Australian Journal of Zoology 20: 369-389

Short, J.W. 1991. Cherax nucifraga, a new species of freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae) from the Northern Territory, Australia. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 8(1): 115-120

Short, J.W. 1993. Caridina zebra, a new species of freshwater atyid shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda) from northeastern Queensland rainforest. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34(1): 61-67

Short, J.W. & Davie, P.J.F. 1993. Two new species of freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae) from northeastern Queensland rainforest. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34(1): 69-80

Shull, H.C., Pérez-Losada, M., Blair, D., Sewell, K., Sinclair, E.A., Lawler, S., Ponniah, M. & Crandall, K.A. 2005. Phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater crayfish Euastacus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 249-263

Sokol, A. 1988. Morphological variation in relation to the taxonomy of the destructor Group of the genus Cherax. Invertebrate Taxonomy 2: 55-79

Sumner, C.E. 1978. A revision of the genus Parastacoides Clark (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 26: 809-821

Zeidler, W. & Adams, M. 1990. Revision of the Australian crustacean genus of freshwater crayfish Gramastacus Riek (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 3: 913-924

History of changes

• Astacopsis Huxley, T.H. 1879. On the classification and the distribution of the crayfishes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878: 752-788 [764] [gender feminine].

  Type species:

   Astacus franklinii Gray, 1845 by monotypy (Huxley's specimens, upon which he based the genus, were later found to be distinct from A. franklini Gray, and were subsequently described as Astacopsis gouldi Clark, 1936).

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

Indigenous to Tasmania.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Tas: Ben Lomond (BEL), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE)

IMCRA

Tasmanian Shelf Province (36)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Tasmania: Tas. coast

General References

Hamr, P. 1992. A revision of the Tasmanian freshwater crayfish genus Astacopsis Huxley (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 126: 91-94

History of changes

• Astacus franklinii Gray, J.E. 1845. Description of some new Australian animals. Appendix. pp. 405-411 in Eyre, E.J. (ed.). Journals of Expeditions of Discovery into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound in the Years 1840-1; sent by the colonists of South Australia, with the sanction and support of the Government: including an account of the manners and customs of the Aborigines and the state of their relations with Europeans. London : T. & W. Boone Vol. 1. [409 pl. 3 fig. 1].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH 1968:215 2♂, Tasmania (as Van Diemen's Land).
  Paralectotype(s) BMNH 1968:216.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [898].
• Astacopsis fluviatilis Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [912 fig. 16A].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P11912 ♂, Hobart Creek, Hobart, TAS.
  Paratype(s) AM P19591 ♀ (as allotype); AM P11913 10 specimens; AM P19592 9 specimens.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Hamr, P. 1992. A revision of the Tasmanian freshwater crayfish genus Astacopsis Huxley (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 126: 91-94 [93]

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

SE coastal TAS.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Tas: Ben Lomond (BEL), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Tasmania

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, swamp.

History of changes

• Astacopsis gouldi Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [35 pl. 7 fig. 28].

  Type data:

   Lectotype NMV J870 1 specimen, Circular Head, TAS.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918.

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

SE coastal.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Tas: Ben Lomond (BEL), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Tasmania

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

General References

Hamr, P. 1997. A giant's tale: the life history of Astacopsis gouldi (Decapoda: Parastacidae) a freshwater crayfish from Tasmania. Freshwater Crayfish 11: 13-33

Horwitz, P. 1994. Distribution and conservation status of the Tasmanian giant freshwater lobster Astacopsis gouldi (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Biological Conservation 69: 199-206

History of changes

• Astacopsis tricornis Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [36 pl. 1 fig. 7, pl. 7].

  Type data:

   Lectotype NMV J896 ♂, Lake St Clair, TAS.
  Paralectotype(s) NMV J896 ♀ (as allotype, same registration as holotype).

  Subsequent designation references:

  Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918.

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

SE coastal.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Tas: Ben Lomond (BEL), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Tasmania

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, lake.

Extra Ecological Information

Lentic waters.

General References

Hamr, P. 1992. A revision of the Tasmanian freshwater crayfish genus Astacopsis Huxley (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 126: 91-94 [93]

History of changes

• Cherax Erichson, W.F. 1846. Uebersicht der Arten der Gattung Astacus. Archiv für Naturgeschichte xii: 86-103, 375-377 [88] [original spelling; accepted as the Valid Original Spelling and placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology, see ICZN (1958); first introduced as a subgenus of Astacus with two different spellings and elevated to generic rank with third form of spelling by Huxley (1879); gender masculine].

  Type species:

   Astacus (Cheraps) preissii Erichson, 1846 by monotypy.

  Secondary source:

   Huxley, T.H. 1879. On the classification and the distribution of the crayfishes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878: 752-788; International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1958. Opinion 519. Addition to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the names of twenty-three genera of Macrura Reptantia (Class Crustacea) and use of the Plenary Powers in regard to three matters concerned therewith. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 19: 133-168.
• Cheraps Erichson, W.F. 1846. Uebersicht der Arten der Gattung Astacus. Archiv für Naturgeschichte xii: 86-103, 375-377 [101] [invalid name; considered to be an Invalid Original Spelling for Cherax Erichson, 1846 and placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Names in Zoology in Opinion 519, see ICZN (1958)].

  Secondary source:

   International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1958. Opinion 519. Addition to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the names of twenty-three genera of Macrura Reptantia (Class Crustacea) and use of the Plenary Powers in regard to three matters concerned therewith. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 19: 133-168.
• Astaconephrops Nobili, G. 1899. Contribuzioni alla conoscenza della fauna carcinologica della Papuasia, delle Molucche e dell' Australia. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genova 20: 230-282, 358, 473-523 [244] [gender masculine].

  Type species:

   Astaconephrops albertisii Nobili, 1899 by monotypy.
• Parachaeraps Smith, G.W. 1912. The freshwater crayfishes of Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1912: 144-170 [145, 148, 150, 161] [gender masculine].

  Type species:

   Astacus bicarinatus Gray, 1845 by monotypy.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Hobbs, H.H., Jr 1974. Synopsis of the families and genera of crayfish. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No. 164: i-iii, 1-32 [20]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

New Guinea, Aru Islands, and Misool.

IBRA

NSW North Coast (NNC) ; NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Burt Plain (BRT), Central Arnhem (CA), Channel Country (CHC), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Gawler (GAW), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Wet Tropics (WT), Yalgoo (YAL)

IMCRA

Northeast Shelf Province (40)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • Northern Territory: Lake Eyre basin, N Gulf, N coastal
  • Queensland: Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin, N Gulf, NE coastal
  • South Australia: Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin, S Gulfs, SE coastal
  • Victoria: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Distribution References

General References

Austin, C.M. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in northern and eastern Australia: electrophoretic and morphological variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 259-296

Austin, C.M. & Knott, B. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in south-western Australia: electrophoretic, morphological and habitat variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 223-258

History of changes

• Cherax austini Coughran, Dawkins, Hobson & Furse, 2012.

  Type data:

   Holotype QM W29124 ♂, SE corner Whitsunday Island, Queensland [20°17’50”S 149°02’51”E].
  Paratype(s) QM W29125-29129 4♂, 1♀, SE corner Whitsunday Island, Queensland [20°17’50”S 149°02’51”E].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Coughran, J., Dawkins, K.L., Hobson, R. & Furse, J.M. 2012. Two new freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Parastacidae) from Whitsunday Island, The Coral Sea, Australia. Crustacean Research Special No. 7: 45–57 [Date published December 2012] [47]

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

Distribution References

History of changes

• Cherax barretti Clark, E. 1941. New species of Australian freshwater and land crayfishes (Family Parastacidae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 12: 31-40 [31 pl. 10. fig. 1].

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV ♂ (presumed lost), Japanese Creek, Wessell Is., NT.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from type locality.

IBRA

NT: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Central Arnhem (CA), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Northern Territory: N coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Otherwise undocumented.

History of changes

• Astacus bicarinatus Gray, J.E. 1845. New species of the genus Astacus. pp. 405–411 in Eyre, E.J. (ed.) Journal of Expedition of Discovery into Central Australia. London. [410].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH 1968: 217 4 specimens, Port Essington, NT.
  Paralectotype(s) BMNH 1968: 218.

Introduction

Davie (2002: 397) commented that 'there has been much speculation about the identity of this taxon. Preserved material lent to Ellen Clark by the Natural History Museum and said to belong to the type series appears to have been the south-western Australian species, C. preisii (Erichson, 1846) rather than C. bicarinatus. Subsequently, she treated the two as synonyms. The dry specimen nominated by Riek (1969) as 'lectoholotype' appears to match the specimen figured by Gray in his original description (based on examination of the types in the BMNH by J.W. Short). Riek's assertion that C. bicarinatus is a valid species allied to C. quadricarinatus and C. rhynchotus rather than C. preisii appears correct (J.W. Short pers. comm.)'

Distribution

States

Northern Territory

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from type locality.

IBRA

NT: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Central Arnhem (CA), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Northern Territory: N coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, coastal streams, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Freshwater pools and streams.

General References

Davie, P. 2002. Crustacea: Malacostraca: Phyllocarida, Hoplocarida, Eucarida (Part 1). In Wells, A. & Houston, W.W.K. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 19.3A. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia xii 551 pp. [397]

Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 (description)

History of changes

• Cherax cainii Austin, C.M. in Austin, C.M & Ryan, S.G. 2002. Allozyme evidence for a new species of freshwater crayfish of the genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) fron the south-west of Western Australia. Invertebrate Systematics 16: 357-367 [360-363].

  Type data:

   Holotype WAM C28348 ♂, Scott River, Brennan bridge, Scott River Road, 12 km north-east of Augusta, south-western Western Australia.

Introduction

This species was originally confused with Cherax tenuimanus, however this taxon was split into two by Austin & Ryan (2002). Cherax tenuimanus is restricted to the Margaret River. The common 'Marron', which has formed the basis of both a wildcaught fishery and an aquaculture industry, is based on Cherax cainii and not C. tenuimanus as long understood. An application to the ICZN to erect neotypes for both species so as to maintain the name Cherax tenuimanus for the common widespread species was rejected (ICZN 2008).

Distribution

States

South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Originally endemic to south-west of Western Australia, but Cherax cainii has been transplanted to natural and artificial water bodies and as a result has become widespread throughout the south-west of Western Australia. It has also been introduced into Victoria and South Australian freshwater habitats where feral populations have become established (Austin, 2002: 360). Also widely cultured in QLD until the late 1980s but since then most farmers have switched to Redclaw.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

SA, Vic, WA: Warren (WAR)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • South Australia
  • Victoria
  • Western Australia

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

General References

ICZN 2008. Opinion 2212 (Case 3267). Cherax tenuimanus Smith, 1912 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pasastacidae): proposed desingation of neotype not accepted and usage not conserved. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 65(4): 320 [320]

History of changes

• Cherax cairnsensis Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [914].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P12837 ♂, near Anderson Street, Cairns, N QLD.
  Paratype(s) AM P39910 ♀ (as allotype); AM P12838; AM P39909 1♀.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, swamp.

Extra Ecological Information

Tea tree swamps, lentic waters.

History of changes

• Cherax cartalacoolah Short, J.W. 1993. Cherax cartalacoolah, a new species of freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Parastacidae) from Northeast Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 33(1): 55-59 [55 figs 1-3, 4A,B].

  Type data:

   Holotype QM W18224 ♂, Cape Flattery, second creek S of headland.
  Paratype(s) QM W18225 ♀ (as allotype); QM W17231 ♀; QM W17234 ♂; QM W18223 ♀; QM W18226 ♂; QM W18228 4♂.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from type locality.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Lentic waters, in burrows near water line of lagoons, creeks and drainage channels, peaty sand, acidic water.

History of changes

• Cherax cid Coughran, Dawkins, Hobson & Furse, 2012.

  Type data:

   Holotype QM W29130 ♂, Cid harbour, W side Whitsunday Island, Queensland [20°15’31”S 148°57’51”E].
  Paratype(s) QM W29131–29134 3♂, 1♀, Cid harbour, W side Whitsunday Island, Queensland [20°15’31”S 148°57’51”E].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Coughran, J., Dawkins, K.L., Hobson, R. & Furse, J.M. 2012. Two new freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Parastacidae) from Whitsunday Island, The Coral Sea, Australia. Crustacean Research Special No. 7: 45–57 [Date published December 2012] [51]

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IMCRA

Northeast Shelf Province (40)

Distribution References

History of changes

• Cherax crassimanus Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121 [119 fig. 5d, pl. 3B].

  Type data:

   Holotype WAM 38-66 ♂, Beedelup Falls, Pemberton area, WA.
  Paratype(s) WAM 39-66 ♀ (as allotype); WAM 62-66 to 76-66 3 specimens; AM P15319 4 specimens.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Augusta–Walpole region.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Esperance Plains (ESP), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater, permanent pond.

General References

Austin, C.M. & Knott, B. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in south-western Australia: electrophoretic, morphological and habitat variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 223-258 (suggested that C. crassimanus is a possible synonym of C. quinquecarinatus)

History of changes

• Cherax cuspidatus Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [913 fig. 15F].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P15734 ♂, 32 km S of Port Macquarie, NSW.
  Paratype(s) AM P15735 ♀ (as allotype); AM P15736 ♀.

Distribution

States

New South Wales

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NSW: NSW North Coast (NNC), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

General References

Merrick, J.R. 1993. Freshwater Crayfishes of New South Wales. Milson's Point : Linnean Society of N.S.W. 127 pp. (diet, reproduction, habitat and photograph)

History of changes

• Cherax depressus Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [375 figs 7-9].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P11964 ♂, Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane, QLD.
  Paratype(s) AM P11965 ♀ (as allotype); AM P11966 100 specimens.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Ephemeral waters including acidic swamps, burrows connected to open water or the water table.

General References

Davie, P. 2002. Crustacea: Malacostraca: Phyllocarida, Hoplocarida, Eucarida (Part 1). In Wells, A. & Houston, W.W.K. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 19.3A. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia xii 551 pp. [398] (the 'depressus' species complex, also includes C. cairnsensis, C. gladstonensis, C. wasselli, and C. urospinosus, all of Riek, 1969; there is strong evidence that at least some of these taxa should be synonymised but this requires further study)

Short, J.W. 1995. Freshwater and terrestrial Crustaceans. pp. 45–54 in, Wildlife of Greater Brisbane. Brisbane : Queensland Museum 340 pp. [50] (colour photo and diagnostic characters)

History of changes

Taxonomic Decision for Subspecies Arrangement

• Campbell, N.J.H., Geddes, M.C. & Adams, M. 1994. Genetic variation in yabbies, Cherax destructor and C. albidus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), indicates the presence of a single, highly sub-structured species. Australian Journal of Zoology 42(6): 745-760

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

The species has been translocated at various locations in eastern NSW where it has successfully established breeding populations (McCormack et al. 2014)

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NSW, Qld, SA, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Channel Country (CHC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Gawler (GAW), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: Murray-Darling basin
  • Queensland: Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin
  • South Australia: Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin, S Gulfs, SE coastal
  • Victoria: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Trade

aquaculture; food

General References

Austin, C.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Meewan, M.M. & Jerry, D.R. 2003. The taxonomy and phylogeny of the 'Cherax destructor' complex (Decapoda : Parastacidae) examined using mitochondrial 16S sequences. Australian Journal of Zoology 51(2): 99–110

Munasinghe, D.H.N., Burridge, C.P. & Austin, C.M. 2004. The systematics of freshwater crayfish of the genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda:Parastacidae) in eastern Australia re-examined using nucleotide sequences from 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes. Invertebrate Systematics 18: 215–225

Nguyen, T.T.T. & Austin, C.M. 2005. Phylogeny of the Australian frshwater crayfish Cherax destructor-complex (Decapoda: Parastacidae) inferred from four mitochondrial gene regions. Invertebrate Systematics 19: 209-216

Sokol, A. 1987. Yabbies at Dalhousie, Northern South Australia: Morphological evidence for long term isolation. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 111: 207-209 (evidence for long term isolation)

Sokol, A. 1988. Morphological variation in relation to the taxonomy of the destructor Group of the genus Cherax. Invertebrate Taxonomy 2: 55-79

History of changes

• Cherax albidus Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [28 pl. I(4), VI(24)].

  Type data:

   Lectotype NMV J13414 1 specimen, Nurrabiel, 25 miles SW of Horsham, VIC.
  Paralectotype(s) NMV J872 2 specimens, not given; NMV J10662 4 specimens; NMV J10672 4 specimens; NMV J11875 5 specimens; NMV J11876 7 specimens; NMV J11877 3 specimens; NMV J11877 3 specimens, Angaston, SA; NMV J11878 5 specimens, Bordertown, SA; NMV J11875 6 specimens, Nurrabiel, VIC; NMV J11876 7 specimens, Nurrabiel, VIC; NMV J11878 5 specimens; NMV J13414 1specimen.

Distribution

States

South Australia, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

SA, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), Riverina (RIV), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

General References

Austin, C.M. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in northern and eastern Australia: electrophoretic and morphological variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 259-296 [291] (noted that F1 hybrids produce a viable F2 generation and therefore full species status cannot be recognised)

Campbell, N.J.H., Geddes, M.C. & Adams, M. 1994. Genetic variation in yabbies, Cherax destructor and C. albidus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), indicates the presence of a single, highly sub-structured species. Australian Journal of Zoology 42(6): 745-760 (found a subspecific level of genetic difference from C. destructor and suggested that C. albidus should be treated as a subspecies)

Sokol, A. 1988. Morphological variation in relation to the taxonomy of the destructor Group of the genus Cherax. Invertebrate Taxonomy 2: 55-79 (considered this a valid species distinct from C. destructor using morphological criteria)

History of changes

• Cherax destructor Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [26 pl. I(3, 5), pl. V(23)].

  Type data:

   Lectotype NMV J871 1 specimen, Melbourne University pond, VIC.
  Paralectotype(s) NMV J11894; NMV J13415; NMV J1558 19 specimens; NMV J1559 17 specimens; NMV J10877 28 specimens; NMV J11895 1 specimen, Castlemaine, VIC; NMV J11885 1 specimen, Melbourne University Pond, VIC; NMV J11882 1 specimen, Melbourne University Pond, VIC; NMV J11888 5 specimens, Melbourne University Pond, VIC; NMV J11881 1 specimen, Melbourne University Pond, VIC; NMV J11889 1 specimen, Melbourne University Pond, VIC; NMV J11887 1 specimen, Melbourne University Pond, VIC; NMV J11884 1 specimen, Melbourne University Pond, VIC; NMV J11883 1 specimen, Melbourne University Pond, VIC; NMV J10881 24 specimens, Hawthorn, VIC; NMV J10887 28 specimens, Hawthorn, VIC; NMV J1559, Hawthorn, VIC; NMV J11890 2 specimens, Mort Lake, from Salt Creek, VIC; NMV J11892 1 specimen, Muckleford Creek, VIC; NMV J11893 5 specimens, Murchison, VIC; NMV J11886 9 specimens, Melbourne Univesity Grounds, VIC; NMV J11891 8 specimens, Pyramid Hill, VIC; NMV J1558, Quarry Hole, Hawthorn, VIC; NMV J11896 3 specimens, Yacka, SA; NMV J13415 1 specimen, Melbourne University, VIC; NMV J11897 4 specimens, Blanchetown, SA; NMV J11903 2 specimens, Kapunda, SA; NMV J11898 5 specimens, Lower Light, via Two Wells, SA; NMV J11900 5 specimens, Mosquito Creek, 8 miles S of Naracoorte, SA; NMV J11899 7 specimens, Myponga, SA; NMV J11901 4 specimens, Onkaparinga,SA; NMV J11894 2 specimens, Melbourne University pond, VIC; NMV J11902 5 specimens, Renmark, No 6 lock, Murray River, SA; NMV J10881 29 specimens; NMV J11890 2 specimens; NMV J11891 1 specimen; NMV J118925 1 specimen; NMV J11893; NMV J11895 1 specimen; NMV J11896 3 specimens; NMV J11897 4 specimens; NMV J11898 5 specimens; NMV J11899 7 specimens; NMV J11900 5 specimens; NMV J11901 4 specimens; NMV J11902 5 specimens; NMV J11903 2 specimens.
• Cherax davisi Clark, E. 1941. New species of Australian freshwater and land crayfishes (Family Parastacidae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 12: 31-40 [33 pl. 10 fig. 3].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) NMV J877 5 specimens, Dumaresq Creek, Armidale, NSW.
• Cherax esculus Riek, E.F. 1956. Additions to the Australian freshwater crayfish. Records of the Australian Museum 24: 1-6 [6].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P12797 ♂, Peel River at Nundle, NSW.
  Paratype(s) AM P12798 ♀ (as allotype); AM P12799 5 specimens.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Crandall, K.A. & De Grave, S. 2017. An updated classification of the freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidea) of the world, with a complete species list. Journal of Crustacean Biology 37(5): 615–653 [23]

Introduction

As far as the synonymy of Cherax davisi Clark, 1941 and C. esculus Riek, 1956, Davie (2002) pointed out that both taxa are arguably junior subjective synonyms of C. destructor' (see also Sokol 1988; Austin 1996; Austin et al. 2003 for supporting analyses).

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Wide-ranging inland and southern Australia, in endorheic catchments, is now widely translocated for aquaculture, introduced to WA.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NSW, Qld, SA, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Channel Country (CHC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Gawler (GAW), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: Murray-Darling basin
  • Queensland: Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin
  • South Australia: Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin, S Gulfs
  • Victoria
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, detritivore, freshwater, nocturnal.

Trade

aquaculture, food

Extra Ecological Information

Lotic and lentic freshwater, in permanent and ephemeral water bodies, abundant in billabongs, swamps and bore drains, burrows in, or connected to, open water.

General References

Austin, C.M. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in northern and eastern Australia: electrophoretic and morphological variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 259-296 [279]

Austin, C.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Meewan, M.M. & Jerry, D.R. 2003. The taxonomy and phylogeny of the 'Cherax destructor' complex (Decapoda : Parastacidae) examined using mitochondrial 16S sequences. Australian Journal of Zoology 51(2): 99–110

Davie, P. 2002. Crustacea: Malacostraca: Phyllocarida, Hoplocarida, Eucarida (Part 1). In Wells, A. & Houston, W.W.K. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 19.3A. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia xii 551 pp. [398-399]

McCormack, R.B. 2014. New records and review of the translocation of the yabby Cherax detructor into eastern drainages of New South Wales, Australia. Australian Zoologist 37(1): 85-94

Sokol, A. 1987. Yabbies at Dalhousie, Northern South Australia: Morphological evidence for long term isolation. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 111: 207-209

Sokol, A. 1988. Morphological variation in relation to the taxonomy of the destructor Group of the genus Cherax. Invertebrate Taxonomy 2: 55-79

History of changes

Taxonomic Decision for Subspecies Arrangement

• Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 (there is debate over the validity of the subspecies and, although listed here, they are presently not generally recognised)

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Between Agnes Water (based on QM record) and Brisbane River, SE QLD, including large offshore sand islands.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

In permanent freshwater, including perched lakes and large coastal streams, short burrows in or connected to open water.

General References

Davie, P. 2002. Crustacea: Malacostraca: Phyllocarida, Hoplocarida, Eucarida (Part 1). In Wells, A. & Houston, W.W.K. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 19.3A. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia xii 551 pp. [399] (may prove to be senior synonym of C. cuspidatus)

Short, J.W. 1995. Freshwater and terrestrial Crustaceans. pp. 45–54 in, Wildlife of Greater Brisbane. Brisbane : Queensland Museum 340 pp. [51] (colour photo and diagnostic characters)

History of changes

• Cherax dispar crassus Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [372].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P11962 ♂, Caboolture, QLD.
  Paratype(s) AM P11963 4 specimens.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Lotic.

History of changes

• Cherax dispar Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [371 fig. 2-3].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P11956 ♂, Sandy Creek, Moorooka, Brisbane, QLD.
  Paratype(s) AM P11957 ♀ (as allotype); AM P11958 100 specimens.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

SE QLD, Brisbane River to Elliot River and offshore islands.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Lentic and lotic waters.

History of changes

• Cherax dispar elongatus Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [372 fig. 4].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P11959 ♂, Lake McKenzie, Fraser Island, QLD.
  Paratype(s) AM P11960 ♀ (as allotype); AM P11961 30 specimens.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater, lentic.

History of changes

• Cherax glaber Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121 [120 fig. 5f, pl. 4B].

  Type data:

   Holotype WAM 40-66 ♂, 12 miles N of Augusta, WA.
  Paratype(s) WAM 41-66 ♀ (as allotype); WAM 75-66 to 79-66 5 specimens; AM P15326 3 specimens.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Augusta region.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Esperance Plains (ESP), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Swampy areas with sedges, as the swamp dries out the burrows are sealed with a mud chimney.

History of changes

• Cherax glabrimanus Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121 [117 fig. 5c, pl. 3A].

  Type data:

   Holotype WAM 34-66 ♂, 16 km S of Yallingup, WA.
  Paratype(s) WAM 35-66 ♀ (as allotype); WAM 42-66 to 49-66 8 specimens; AM P15317.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Esperance Plains (ESP), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

General References

Austin, C.M. & Knott, B. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in south-western Australia: electrophoretic, morphological and habitat variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 223-258 (suggested that C. glabrimanus is a possible synonym of C. quinquecarinatus)

History of changes

• Cherax gladstonensis Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [915].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P12833 ♂, Railway pumping station, Gladstone, QLD.
  Paratype(s) AM P12834 ♂; AM P17809 ♀.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Ephemeral waters including acidic swamps, burrows connected to open water or the water table.

General References

Davie, P. 2002. Crustacea: Malacostraca: Phyllocarida, Hoplocarida, Eucarida (Part 1). In Wells, A. & Houston, W.W.K. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 19.3A. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia xii 551 pp. [400] (a member of the C. depressus complex, sensu Short & Davie (1993))

History of changes

• Cherax latimanus McCormack, R.B. & Raadik, T.A. 2021. Cherax latimanus sp. nov., a new burrow-dwelling freshwater crayfish (Decapoda, Parastacidae) from the mid-Murray River catchment, Australia. Zootaxa 5026: 344-374 [347].
  Zoobank Registration Number:urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F9937BB4-4066-4330-9745-C184272E29FB

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV J74790 ♂ (as "NVM", Broken R system, 175 m elevation, bait trap, RBM, 16 October 2009), roadside drain on south-east side of Nelson Road, near Benalla/Yarrawonga Road, (near Benalla), VIC [36°31.001’S, 146°2.005’E].
  Paratype(s) NMV various numerous; AMS various numerous.

Miscellaneous Literature Names

• Cherax sp. Swamp [manuscript name]. —
  Unmack, P.J., Young, M.J., Gruber, B., White, D., Kilian, A., Zhang, X. & Georges, A. 2019. Phylogeography and species delimitation of Cherax destructor (Decapoda: Parastacidae) using genome-wide SNPs. Marine and Freshwater Research 70: 857–869 (also referred to within as "Cherax sp. Swamp", "C. sp. [Swamp]", "C. sp. Swamp" and "MDB C. sp. Swamp")
• Cherax sp. C [manuscript name]. —
  Horwitz, P. & Austin, C.M. 1995. Preliminary key to species of Australian freshwater crayfish (Parastacidae). pp. 7-50 in Horwitz, P. A preliminary key to the species of decapoda (Crustacea: Malacostraca) found in Australian inland waters. Identification Guide No. 5. Albury : Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology pp. 1-50.
  Hale, J. & Butcher, R. 2011. Ecological character description for the Barmah Forest Ramsar Site. Canberra : Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities pp. 1-98.
• Cherax sp. [unidentified species]. —
  Lawrence, C.S., Morrissy, N.M., Bellanger, J. & Cheng, Y.W. 1998. Final Report FRDC Project 94/75: Enhancement of commercial yabby production from Western Australian farm dams. Fisheries Research Report 112. Perth : Department of Fisheries Western Australia pp. 1-134.
  Edney, G.N., McNeil, D.G. & Lawler, S.H. 2002. The swamp yabby (Cherax sp.) of the Murray River catchment. Victorian Naturalist 119: 200–204
• Cherax rotundus rotundus [misidentification]. —
  Austin, C.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Meewan, M.M. & Jerry, D.R. 2003. The taxonomy and phylogeny of the 'Cherax destructor' complex (Decapoda : Parastacidae) examined using mitochondrial 16S sequences. Australian Journal of Zoology 51(2): 99–110
• Cherax n. sp. [undescribed species]. —
  Littlejohn, P. 2001. The unnamed yabbie from Victoria. Fishes of Sahul, Journal of the Australian New Guinea Fishes Association 15: 754–756 [755]
• Cherax destructor Clark, 1936 [misidentification]. —
  Mussared, D. 1997. Living on Floodplains. Canberra : Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Research, Murray-Darling Basin Commission pp. 1-136. [60]
• Cherax rotundus Clark, 1941 [misidentification]. —
  Austin, C.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Meewan, M.M. & Jerry, D.R. 2003. The taxonomy and phylogeny of the 'Cherax destructor' complex (Decapoda : Parastacidae) examined using mitochondrial 16S sequences. Australian Journal of Zoology 51(2): 99–110 [102, 107]
  Munasinghe, D.H.N., Burridge, C.P. & Austin, C.M. 2004. The systematics of freshwater crayfish of the genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda:Parastacidae) in eastern Australia re-examined using nucleotide sequences from 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes. Invertebrate Systematics 18: 215–225
  Nguyen, T.T.T. & Austin, C.M. 2005. Phylogeny of the Australian frshwater crayfish Cherax destructor-complex (Decapoda: Parastacidae) inferred from four mitochondrial gene regions. Invertebrate Systematics 19: 209-216
  McCormack, R.B. 2008. The Freshwater Crayfish of New South Wales, Australia. Karuah, NSW : Australian Aquatic Biological Pty Ltd.
  Schultz, M.B., Smith, S.A., Horwitz, P., Richardson, A.M.M., Crandall, K.A. & Austin, C.M. 2009. Evolution underground: a molecular phylogenetic investigation of Australian burrowing freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Parastacidae) with particular focus on Engaeus Erichson. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 50: 580–598
  Anon 2017. Swamp Yabby (Cherax rotundus) Ecological Risk Screening Summary. U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service revised December 2017, pp. 11.
• Cherax B sp.nov. Lawrence, 2006 [undescribed species]. —
  Lawrence, C.S., Morrissy, N.M., Vercoe, P.E. & Williams, I.H. 2006. Cherax of south-eastern and central Australia. Part 3: Differences in growth rate, size at sexual maturity and sex ratio. Freshwater Crayfish 15: 24–35 [347]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NSW, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Victorian Midlands (VM)

Common Name References

McCormack, R.B. & Raadik, T.A. 2021. Cherax latimanus sp. nov., a new burrow-dwelling freshwater crayfish (Decapoda, Parastacidae) from the mid-Murray River catchment, Australia. Zootaxa 5026: 344-374 [347] (Swamp Yabby)

History of changes

• Cherax leckii Coughran, J. 2005. Cherax leckii n. sp. (Decapoda: Parastacidae): a new crayfish from coastal, northeastern New South Wales. Fishes of Sahul, Journal of the Australian New Guinea Fishes Association 19(4): 191-196 [191].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P71725 ♂, ephemeral tributary of Koreelah Creek, Koreelah National Park, northeastern NSW, Australia [28°16.932'S, 152°28.578'E].

Distribution

States

New South Wales

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from type locality.

Australian Endemic.

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Dry sclerophyll forest

History of changes

• Cherax neocarinatus Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121 [118].

  Type data:

   Holotype WAM 36-66 ♂, 16 km E of Blackwood River, WA.
  Paratype(s) WAM 37-66 ♀ (as allotype); WAM 50-66 to 60-66 11 specimens; AM P15325.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Esperance Plains (ESP), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

General References

Austin, C.M. & Knott, B. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in south-western Australia: electrophoretic, morphological and habitat variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 223-258 (suggested that C. neocarinatus is a possible synonym of C. quinquecarinatus)

History of changes

• Cherax neopunctatus Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [913].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P17813 ♂, Coff's Harbour Golf Course, NSW.
  Paratype(s) AM P17814 ♀ (as allotype); AM P15496 22 specimens.

Distribution

States

New South Wales

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NSW: NSW North Coast (NNC), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, detritivore, freshwater, nocturnal.

General References

Merrick, J.R. 1993. Freshwater Crayfishes of New South Wales. Milson's Point : Linnean Society of N.S.W. 127 pp. (diet, reproduction, habitat and photograph)

History of changes

• Cherax nucifraga Short, J.W. 1991. Cherax nucifraga, a new species of freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae) from the Northern Territory, Australia. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 8(1): 115-120 [115 figs 1-4].

  Type data:

   Holotype NTM Cr.007430 ♂, Palm Springs, near Channel Point, NT (ex stomach of Barramundi).

Distribution

States

Northern Territory

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from type locality.

IBRA

NT: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Central Arnhem (CA), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Northern Territory: N coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Low lying, floodplain country very close to the sea.

History of changes

• Cherax parvus Short, J.W. & Davie, P.J.F. 1993. Two new species of freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae) from northeastern Queensland rainforest. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34(1): 69-80 [70 figs 1-4].

  Type data:

   Holotype QM W18121 ♂, O'Leary Creek, tributary of the Tully River above Koombooloomba Dam.
  Paratype(s) QM W18123 ♀; QM W18133 6♂ 2♀; QM W17494 10♂ 4♀.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Upper Tully River catchment, Cardwell Range.

Known only from type locality.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, rock bottom, sand bottom.

Extra Ecological Information

Rainforest streams, low to moderate water flow, leaf litter, short burrows in open water.

History of changes

• Astacoides plebejus Hess, W. 1865. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Decapoden-Krebse Ost-Australiens. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 31: 127-173 pls 6-7 [164].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) RMNH D986, Sydney (presumed to be in error), NSW; ZMG (a syntype was originally lodged in the ZMG under the catalogue number 124a, but it now appears to be lost and is not present in the SMF with the rest of the surviving Hess types), Sydney, NSW.

  Type locality references:

  Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121.
• Chaeraps intermedius Smith, G.W. 1912. The freshwater crayfishes of Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1912: 144-170 [168 pl. 24 fig. 2, pl. 27].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) NMV J11623 2 specimens, Western Australia.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121 [116]

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Esperance Plains (ESP), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Permanent pond, burrows in swampy ground that often dries out.

General References

Austin, C.M. & Knott, B. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in south-western Australia: electrophoretic, morphological and habitat variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 223-258 (suggested that C. plebejus is a synonym of C. preissii)

History of changes

• Astacus (Cheraps) preissii Erichson, W.F. 1846. Uebersicht der Arten der Gattung Astacus. Archiv für Naturgeschichte xii: 86-103, 375-377 [101].

  Type data:

   Neotype AM P2749 ♂, near Albany, WA.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [377].
• Cheraps preisii var. angustus McCulloch, A.R. 1914. Revision of the Freshwater Crayfishes of South Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 1(3): 228-235 pls 32, 35 [231 pl. 32] [as Cheraps preisii var. angustus].

  Type data:

   Lectotype AM P2749 ♂, Albany, WA.
  Paralectotype(s) AM P2750 ♀; AM P2751 ♀ (as allotype).

  Subsequent designation references:

  Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [377].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388
• Davie, P. 2002. Crustacea: Malacostraca: Phyllocarida, Hoplocarida, Eucarida (Part 1). In Wells, A. & Houston, W.W.K. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 19.3A. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia xii 551 pp. [401] (Erichson's types are considered lost; Riek (1951) took the unusual step of 'erecting the types of Cheraps preissii var. angustus McCulloch as the neotypes' (his words) of C. preissii, thus C. preissii angustus McCulloch, became a junior objective synonym of Cherax preissii (Erichson))

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

North of Perth to east of Albany, mainly inland.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Esperance Plains (ESP), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, littoral.

Extra Ecological Information

Lotic and lentic freshwater, swamps and creeks that dry in summer.

General References

Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 (as Cherax bicarinatus angustus)

Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [900]

History of changes

• Cherax punctatus Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [29 pls I(6), VI(25)].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) NMV J890 1 specimen, Cooran, QLD (not Coorari as stated by Clark); NMV J11874 6 specimens, Eumundi, QLD.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Mary River catchment, SE QLD.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower.

Extra Ecological Information

Burrows found on clay hillsides independent of open water or the water table.

General References

Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 (appears to have confused this species with C. depressus)

History of changes

• Astacus quadricarinatus Martens, E. von 1868. Über einige neue Crustaceen. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1868: 608-615 [617].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, Cape York, QLD.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

In exorheic drainage systems from Daly River, NT, to Normanby River, NE QLD, now translocated widely in eastern QLD, and to Lake Kununurra on the Ord River.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NT, Qld: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), NSW North Coast (NNC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Northern Territory: N coastal
  • Queensland: N Gulf, NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, coastal streams, freshwater, freshwater.

Trade

aquaculture, food

Extra Ecological Information

Permanent freshwater, absent from acidic swamps and perched lakes, short burrows in, or connected to, open water.

General References

Coughran, J. & Leckie, S.R. 2007. Invasion of a New South Wales stream by the Tropical Crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens). pp. 40-46 in Lunney, D., Eby, P., Hutchings, P. & Burgin, S. (eds). Pest or Guest: the Zoology of Overabundance. Mosman, New South Wales : Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales.

Doupé, R.G. 2007. Where are they now? A baseline distributional description of introduced redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens) in the east Kimberley. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 90: 215-218 (introduced in 1998, appears to be restricted to Lake Kununurra)

History of changes

• Astacus quinque-carinatus Gray, J.E. 1845. New species of the genus Astacus. pp. 405–411 in Eyre, E.J. (ed.) Journal of Expedition of Discovery into Central Australia. London. [410].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH 1968:219 ♂, Swan River, WA.
  Paralectotype(s) 1968: 220 2 specimens.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

N of Perth to W of Albany, mainly coastal.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Esperance Plains (ESP), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Short burrows or under stones on stream bed, when stones available there is little attempt at burrowing.

General References

Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121 [113]

Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918

History of changes

• Cherax rhynchotus Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [377 fig. 12].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P4237 ♂, Mapoon, Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD.
  Paratype(s) AM P39912 ♀ (as allotype); AM P39913 5 specimens.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

N Cape York and Badu Island, Torres Strait.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: N Gulf, NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Acidic coastal swamps and perched lakes, burrows connected to open water or water table.

History of changes

• Cherax robustus Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [376 fig. 10].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P11967 ♂, Lake Birrabeen, Fraser Island.
  Paratype(s) AM P11968 ♀ (as allotype); AM P11969 49 specimens; AM P12831 22 specimens.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Fraser Island and Cooloola to N Stradbroke Island, SE QLD.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Coastal sand dune wetlands, acid water, burrows connected to open water or water table.

General References

Short, J.W. 2000. Freshwater and terrestrial Crustacea. pp. 58–67 in, Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland. Queensland Museum : South Brisbane. 368 pp. [52] (colour photo and diagnostic characters)

History of changes

• Cherax rotundus Clark, E. 1941. New species of Australian freshwater and land crayfishes (Family Parastacidae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 12: 31-40 [34].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) NMV J11624, Muddy Creek, Severn, QLD [Severnlea, south of Stanthorpe, on the Severn River]
  Comment: the type locality cannot be precisely be located (O'Brien et al. 2009), although Riek (1969) provided a correction to the original one.

  Type locality references:

  Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918; O’Brien, A., Coughran, J. & McCormack, R.B. 2009. On the existence of Cherax rotundus in the Severn area, south-eastern Queensland. Queensland Naturalist 47((4-6)): 41-51.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [902]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NSW, Qld: Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), NSW North Coast (NNC), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: SE coastal
  • Queensland: Murray-Darling basin

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

General References

Austin, C.M. 1996. Systematics of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in northern and eastern Australia: electrophoretic and morphological variation. Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 259-296 (also considered that the type locality given by Clark (1941) may be erroneous as, subsequently, it has not been collected from this locality; p. 280 notes that C. rotundus is only now known from the environs of Newcastle, NSW; on the basis of electrophoretic data, he also suggested that this should be a subspecies of C. destructor)

Sokol, A. 1988. Morphological variation in relation to the taxonomy of the destructor Group of the genus Cherax. Invertebrate Taxonomy 2: 55-79 [71, 72] (considered that the type locality given by Clark (1941) may be erroneous as it has not been subsequently collected from this locality; also noted a number of significant morphological differences between the two nominal species and did not support synonymising the two taxa)

History of changes

• Cherax rotundus setosus Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [385].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P4739 ♂, Booral, Karuah River, Port Stephens, NSW [32°29’S 151°58’E].
  Paratype(s) AM P4740 1♂, same as holotype.

  Type locality references:

  McCormack, R.B. & Coughran, J. 2011. Taxonomy, distribution and ecology of the Setose Yabby, Cherax setosus (Riek, 1951). Crustacean Research 40: 1–11.

Introduction

Full species status following genetic analyses by Austin et al. (2003) and Munasinghe et al. (2004).
McCormack & Coughran (2011) provide a redescription as well as a details on current distribution.

Distribution

IBRA

NSW North Coast (NNC)

Distribution References

General References

Austin, C.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Meewan, M.M. & Jerry, D.R. 2003. The taxonomy and phylogeny of the 'Cherax destructor' complex (Decapoda : Parastacidae) examined using mitochondrial 16S sequences. Australian Journal of Zoology 51(2): 99–110

McCormack, R.B. & Coughran, J. 2011. Taxonomy, distribution and ecology of the Setose Yabby, Cherax setosus (Riek, 1951). Crustacean Research 40: 1–11

Munasinghe, D.H.N., Burridge, C.P. & Austin, C.M. 2004. The systematics of freshwater crayfish of the genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda:Parastacidae) in eastern Australia re-examined using nucleotide sequences from 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes. Invertebrate Systematics 18: 215–225

History of changes

• Chaeraps tenuimanus Smith, G.W. 1912. The freshwater crayfishes of Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1912: 144-170 [166 pls 22, 27 fig. 30].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown (Smith states that his specimens were deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, however these do not appear to have been located by recent workers. Austin & Ryan (2002) state that the holotype is in the WAM, Perth (registration WAM C127 = W AM 4131), however no "type" or holotype designation was specifically made by Smith (1912), and any specimens he examined would thus be syntypes. Also, the label on the specimen in Perth, includes only the comment 'type (suspected)?' with no indication as to who made this annotation), Margaret River, WA
  Comment: A request to the ICZN (Case 3267) by Moloney et al. (2006) to reverse the type selection for the two species of "Marron", C. tenuimanus and C. cainii, so as to maintain the name C. tenuimanus for the most widespread and abundant species that is used in aquaculture in Australia and overseas, was not upheld (ICZN 2008). However, there is still no valid lectotype or neotype designation for C. tenuimanus, and therefore the nomenclatural status of both species still remains potentially unstable.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

WA: Warren (WAR)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater, freshwater.

Trade

aquaculture, food

General References

Austin, C.M. in Austin, C.M & Ryan, S.G. 2002. Allozyme evidence for a new species of freshwater crayfish of the genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) fron the south-west of Western Australia. Invertebrate Systematics 16: 357-367

ICZN 2008. Opinion 2212 (Case 3267). Cherax tenuimanus Smith, 1912 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pasastacidae): proposed desingation of neotype not accepted and usage not conserved. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 65(4): 320 [320]

Malony, B.W., Jones, B., Craig S., Lawrence, C.S. & Gouteff, V.A. 2006. Case 3267: Cherax tenuimanus Smith, 1912 (Crustacea, Decapoda, PARASTACIDAE): proposed conservation of usage of the specific name. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 63(4): 231-235

Riek, E.F. 1967. The freshwater crayfish of Western Australia (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 103-121 [112]

Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918

History of changes

• Cherax urospinosus Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [916].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P12846 ♂, Indooroopilly, Brisbane, QLD.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

General References

Short, J.W. & Davie, P.J.F. 1993. Two new species of freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae) from northeastern Queensland rainforest. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34(1): 69-80 (a member of the C. depressus species complex)

History of changes

• Cherax wasselli Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [914].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P15737 ♂, Bridge Spring, between Rocky River and Scrubby Creek, Cape York, QLD.
  Paratype(s) AM P15738.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: NE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

General References

Short, J.W. & Davie, P.J.F. 1993. Two new species of freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae) from northeastern Queensland rainforest. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34(1): 69-80 (a member of the C. depressus species complex)

History of changes

• Engaeus Erichson, W.F. 1846. Uebersicht der Arten der Gattung Astacus. Archiv für Naturgeschichte xii: 86-103, 375-377 [88, 89, 102] [first introduced as a subgenus of Astacus; elevated to generic rank by Huxley, T.H. 1879. On the classification and the distribution of the crayfishes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878: 752–788 (769); gender masculine].

  Type species:

   Astacus (Engaeus) fossor Erichson, 1846 by subsequent designation, see Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [37].

  Secondary source:

   Huxley, T.H. 1879. On the classification and the distribution of the crayfishes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878: 752-788.
• Pseudengaeus Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [47] [gender masculine].

  Type species:

   Pseudengaeus strictifrons Clark, 1936 by original designation.
• Austroastacus Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [51] [gender masculine].

  Type species:

   Engaeus hemicirratulus Smith & Schuster, 1913 by original designation.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Hobbs, H.H., Jr 1974. Synopsis of the families and genera of crayfish. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No. 164: i-iii, 1-32 [20]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA

NSW, Qld, Tas, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Esperance Plains (ESP), Flinders (FLI), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • Queensland: NE coastal
  • Tasmania: Tas. coast
  • Victoria: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

General References

Horwitz, P. 1990. A taxonomic revision of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4(3): 427-614

History of changes

• Engaeus affinis Smith, G.W. & Schuster, E.H.J. 1913. The genus Engaeus, or the land-crayfishes of Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1913: 112-127 [120 pls 17, 18 fig. 23].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) NMV J3846 1 specimen, Warburton, VIC (Fernshaw?); NMV J3849 1 specimen, Upper Yarra, VIC; NMV J3851 1 specimen, near Healesville, VIC; NMV J3853 4 specimens, Warburton, VIC; NMV J4057 2 specimens, Warburton, VIC; NMV J3844 5 specimens, Badger Creek, VIC; NMV J3921 2 specimens, W face of Mt Dandenong, VIC
  Comment: other probable syntypes NMV J3845, NMV J4066, NMV J4088.

  Type locality references:

  Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918.
• Engaeus villosus Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [44 pl. I fig. 10, pl. IX].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) NMV J3863 78 specimens, Acheron River flats, near Marysville, VIC; NMV J2903 3 specimens, Acheron River Flats, near Marysville, VIC.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [879]

Distribution

States

Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Victoria: SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, swamp.

General References

Horwitz, P. 1990. A taxonomic revision of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4(3): 427-614

History of changes

• Engaeus australis Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [905 figs 14D, 17B].

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV J910 ♂, Lilly Pilly Gully, Wilson's Promontory, VIC.
  Paratype(s) NMV J3910 ♂, Lilly Pilly Gully, Wilsons Promontory, VIC.

Distribution

States

Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Victoria: SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

History of changes

• Engaeus cisternarius Suter, P.J. 1977. The biology of two species of Engaaeus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in Tasmania. I. Species description of Engaeus cisternaruis sp. nov. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 28(1): 77-84 [77 figs 1-3].

  Type data:

   Holotype TMH G1756 ♂, tributary of the Dip River, NW TAS.
  Paratype(s) TMH G1757 ♀ (as allotype); TMH G1758, ♀; TMH G1759 2♂; TMH G1760 2♂ 1 juvenile.

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Tas: Flinders (FLI)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Tasmania

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

With clay bottom and rainforest.

General References

Horwitz, P. & Knott, B. 1991. The faunal assemblage in freshwater crayfish burrows in sedgeland and forest at Lighting Plains, Western Tasmania. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 125: 29-32 (variations and species occurrence and abundance in faunal assemblages of crayfish burrows)

History of changes

• Astacus (Engaeus) cunicularius Erichson, W.F. 1846. Uebersicht der Arten der Gattung Astacus. Archiv für Naturgeschichte xii: 86-103, 375-377 [102].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB 1122, Tasmania.

  Type locality references:

  Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918.

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Tas: Flinders (FLI)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Tasmania

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

General References

Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 (description)

Horwitz, P. 1990. A taxonomic revision of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4(3): 427-614

Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [878] (as Engaeus cunicularius)

History of changes

• Engaeus curvisuturus Horwitz, P. 1990. A taxonomic revision of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4(3): 427-614 [498 figs 18, 43].

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV J14695 ♂, Yarra River plains, near bridge over Yarra River at Warburton.
  Paratype(s) NMV J14696 ♀ (as allotype), Yarra River Plains, near bridge over Yarra River at Warburton, VIC; NMV J14697 2 specimens, Bens Falls, tributary of Toorongo River, E of Noojee, VIC.

Distribution

States

Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Victoria: SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

History of changes

• Austroastacus cymus Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58 [53, text-fig. 2].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) NMV J895 7 specimens (only 7 from the 38 examined by Clark are in the collection), Buffalo River, Dondangadale, VIC.
• Engaeus parvulus Riek, E.F. 1951. The Freshwater Crayfish (Family Parastacidae) of Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 22(4): 368-388 [386].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P11973 ♂, Blundells, Condor Creek, ACT.
  Paratype(s) AM P11974 ♀ (as allotype); AM P11975.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Horwitz, P. 1990. A taxonomic revision of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4(3): 427-614 [489]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NSW, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • Victoria: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

Extra Ecological Information

Creeks or seepages in dry or wet sclerophyll forests, may be found at base of small trees where roots create water pockets, or under rotting logs, also recorded from a cave.

History of changes

• Engaeus disjuncticus Horwitz, P. 1990. A taxonomic revision of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4(3): 427-614 [544 figs 29, 51].

  Type data:

   Holotype TMH G3199 ♂, Rubicon River, due E of Elizabeth Town on Weetah Rd, N TAS.
  Paratype(s) TMH 3200 ♀ (as allotype); NMV J14699 ♀, small tributary of Rubicon Ruver E of Elizabeth Town, N TAS; TMH G3201; TMH G3202.

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Tas: Flinders (FLI)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Tasmania

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, freshwater.

History of changes

• Astacus (Engaeus) fossor Erichson, W.F. 1846. Uebersicht der Arten der Gattung Astacus. Archiv für Naturgeschichte xii: 86-103, 375-377 [102].

  Type data:

   Lectotype ZMB 1123, Tasmania.
  Paralectotype(s) ZMB 1124.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Clark, E. 1936. The freshwater and land crayfishes of Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 10: 5-58.
• Engaeus ignotus Clark, E. 1939. Tasmanian Parastacidae. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1938: 117-128 [124 pl. 13 figs 8, 8a].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) NMV J878 3 specimens, Smithton, TAS.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Riek, E.F. 1969. The Australian freshwater crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), with descriptions of new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 855-918 [878]

Distribution

States

Tasmania, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Tas, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Tasmania
  • Victoria: SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

History of changes

• Engaeus fultoni Smith, G.W. & Schuster, E.H.J. 1913. The genus Engaeus, or the land-crayfishes of Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1913: 112-127 [126].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) NMV J3967 1 specimen, Cape Otway forest, VIC; NMV J3968 1 specimen, Ferntree Gully, VIC.

Distribution

States

Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Vic: Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Riverina (RIV), Victorian Midlands (VM)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Victoria: Murray-Darling basin

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

General References

Horwitz, P. 1990. A taxonomic revision of species in the freshwater crayfish genus Engaeus Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4(3): 427-614

History of changes