Freshwater Crayfish

Freshwater crayfish (called crawfish in the USA) look rather like miniature northern hemisphere lobsters with large front nippers. They’re found in waterholes, dams, swamps, creeks and billabongs all over Australia, though the ones available commercially are now almost exclusively farmed. There are three main types of freshwater crayfish. Yabbies, which are found throughout south-eastern Australia and south-western Queensland, are the most common. The very similar redclaws are native to tropical Queensland and the Northern Territory, and named for the distinctive red patches on the outside of the males’ front claws. Marrons, the largest and most highly prized freshwater crayfish, are indigenous to south-western Western Australia, and have also been introduced to Kangaroo Island in South Australia.