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A new species of crayfish discovered in southeast Australia’s coastal lakes and swamps is one of the world’s smallest crayfish species, researchers report.
The tiny, blue-black crustacean resembles its larger cousins that end up in cooking pots, such as lobsters and crawdads. But this species, which locals call a lake yabby, measures only 0.5 to 0.7 inches (12 to 18 millimeters) long. The biggest one found was just 0.8 inches (21 mm) long, and weighed 0.2 ounces (7 grams).
“Color varying with population,” Dr McCormack wrote in a paper published in the journal Zookeys. “First chelipeds very dark, black to black-blue with bright blue highlights along propodal, carpal and meral lateral edges, light blue tint ventrally with articulations dull to bright red. Cephalon dark black-brown dorsally, lightening laterally, many with blue highlight on lateral surface. Thorax and abdomen light brown, green, tan or steel blue, usually with small, light cream or red speckles. Body clear to cream ventrally. Juveniles light blue.”
Gramastacus lacus is found in lowland ephemeral habitats surrounding coastal lakes and lagoons from Wamberal Lagoon, north along the coastal strip to Wallis Lake.
Being dependent on regular natural flooding and drying cycles, only lowland, swampy areas are suitable for this crayfish species.
Each crayfish digs a small rounded cross-section burrow up to 1 m deep into the water table to survive the drying cycle. Some areas are riddled with these small burrows as they are a very prolific species and can occur in very high numbers in small habitat areas.
Now, being found and officially described, Gramastacus lacus must be considered in any further developments and hopefully future habitat loss will be reduced.
Agencies/Canadajournal
