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LaughingDove

Spiny Lobster

Spiny Lobster
LaughingDove, 21 Aug 2016
    • devilfish
      Spiny lobster ;)
    • LaughingDove
      I thought when I was posting it that it should probably be some sort of a lobster rather than a crayfish, but 'crayfish' is what the sign said!

      I don't know a huge amount about marine life, so I assumed an aquarium would know better than me, but as it turns out, that seems not to be the case! :p
    • Chlidonias
      in Australasia spiny lobsters are usually called crayfish (sometimes rock lobsters, but crayfish is most common).

      So in NZ you've got crayfish (spiny lobsters) in the sea, and freshwater crayfish or koura in the rivers and lakes. The Maori name koura covers both marine and freshwater types (hence Kaikoura) but when used in general English just refers to the freshwater ones.

      In Australia the freshwater species are usually called yabbies or (in WA) marron, although some species are always called freshwater crayfish.
    • devilfish
      Thanks! I was familiar with rock lobsters, yabbies, marron and (freshwater) crayfish but had no idea that the term 'crayfish' was so versatile, or of the significance of koura. :)
    • Chlidonias
      I think this one is probably Panulirus cygnus, which is the most common species in Western Australia.
    • LaughingDove
      I've just noticed in the AQWA Souvenir Guidebook it describes these as Western Rock Lobsters, Panulirus cygnus.
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  • Category:
    AQWA
    Uploaded By:
    LaughingDove
    Date:
    21 Aug 2016
    View Count:
    994
    Comment Count:
    7