The Gamilaroi spiny crayfish Euastacus gamilaroi

After 18 years of research by the Australian Crayfish Project ACP we have finally published a manuscript in the Journal of Crustacean Biology on the endangered intermediate group crayfish Euastacus gamilaroi. It’s a high altitude cold water species with a very restricted range along the top of the Great Divide occurring in both the Manning (more…)

Euastacus clydensis has been reinstated as a valid species.

Originally, Edgar Riek described two giant spiny crayfish species, firstly in 1956 E. spinosus from the upper reaches of the Hastings River, New South Wales, then secondly in 1969 E. clydensis, from a side stream of the Clyde River near Brooman, and paratypes from near Conjola, New South Wales. Morgan (1997) revised the taxonomy of (more…)

The Swamp Yabby Cherax latimanus – A NEW species for NSW & Vic

After 15 years of rigorous research we finally described a new species of yabby. The Swamp Yabby (Cherax latimanus) was formally described and published in the peer-reviewed international journal Zootaxa. Robert McCormack from Australian Aquatic Biological as part of the Australian Crayfish Project (ACP) and Tarmo Raadik from the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, (more…)

Save the Spinys

Project:  100086 Saving the spinys: urgent actions to conserve the Euastacus freshwater crayfish Spiny crayfish from the Euastacus genus are an inconspicuous casualty of the widespread and enduring bushfires that profoundly impacted Australia over 2019–20. As with other freshwater animals, spiny crayfish were not only directly impacted as the bushfires swept over the landscape but (more…)

Euastacus vesper – a NEW Euastacus for NSW

Research Project 100007 initiated in 2008 has finally been completed. This project has been ongoing for the last 10 years, but has at last culminated in the publication of a description of a NEW Euastacus species for the western drainage of New South Wales, Australia. The Cudgegong Giant Spiny Crayfish Euastacus vesper is described from (more…)

A New Spiny Crayfish in Western Drainage, NSW.

Project: 100007 started back in 2008 final draws to a closure. The project that started out as an unidentified Euastacus crayfish species has been found in western drainage of NSW has been finalized with the completion of the project going to press. A scientific manuscript title; Euastacus sp. nov., a new giant spiny crayfish (Crustacea, (more…)

Orbost Spiny Crayfish paper finally published

Started in 2005 the quest to rediscover the Orbost Spiny Crayfish Euastacus diversus has been a long and intriguing journey cumulating in the publication of this paper. This story began back in 1959 when one of Australia’s foremost expert on freshwater crayfish at that time, Edgar Riek, discovered this small freshwater crayfish species in the east (more…)

2015 Expedition to Far North Queensland

Early September 2015 four volunteers on the Australian Crayfish Project (ACP) met at Townsville Queensland for a crayfish research expedition. We met at Cocoa Creek, on Cape Cleveland approximately 17 km east of Townsville. We all got there pretty much together just before sunset. Cocoa Creek is a small muddy deep water creek flowing through (more…)

Ellen Clarks Crayfish Euastacus clarkae Paper Published

Between 2005 and 2012 the Australian Crayfish Project (ACP) has been researching an IUCN listed Critically Endangered species Euastacus clarkae. Then in 2013 the ACP received a Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZSCF) grant (Project 12054688) and I am extremely grateful for their generous support. The MBZSCF is a significant philanthropic endowment established to provide (more…)

Riek’s Crayfish Euastacus rieki (first breeding record)

The ACT Aquatic Team  from the ACT Government’s Conservation Planning and Research Unit sent me this photo of a berried Euastacus rieki and I just had to share it with you all. It’s the first female with eggs recorded and a tremendous leap towards filling the huge knowledge gaps on this cryptic species. The Aquatic Team (more…)

The Southern Lobster Euastacus yanga

We have finally finished our aquatic surveys of the lower Clyde River, NSW. It’s an exciting area with mostly pristine clear flowing streams full of aquatic life. The results of the survey have been extremely interesting and have resulted in some significant findings. We have identified 3 different freshwater crayfish species in the lower Clyde (more…)

A Guide to Australia’s Spiny Freshwater Crayfish wins a coveted Whitley Award

A Guide to Australia’s Spiny Freshwater Crayfish wins a coveted Whitley Award. The winners were announced by the Royal Zoological Society of NSW at a ceremony held in the foyer of the Australian Museum in Sydney on Friday 11th of October 2013. The Whitley Awards are for outstanding publications dealing with the promotion and conservation (more…)