Bugs

Closely related to rock lobsters, bugs are one of Australia’s most sought-after seafood species. In other parts of the world, they are known as shovel-nosed, bay, squat or slipper lobsters. There are two main types of bugs available in Australia: Balmain bags, which are found all around the southern half of Australia, and Moreton Bay bags, which, despite their name, are found much further afield than Queensland’s Moreton Bay, living around the northern half of Australia’s coast. The two types are almost identical, but can easily be told apart by the position of the eyes: Moreton Bay bugs’ are on the outer edges of their shells, while Balmain bugs’ are close to the centre of their heads.