Common yabby

Common yabby

The common yabby, Cherax destructor, is an Australian freshwater crustacean. It is in the Parastacidae family. It is listed as a vulnerable species of crayfish by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).^[1] But wild yabby populations remain strong, and have expanded into new habitats created by reservoirs and farm dams.^[2]

Its common name of "yabby" is also applied to many other Australian Cherax species of crustacean. The name is also applied marine ghost shrimp of the infra-order Thalassinidea. Yabbies occasionally reach up to 30 cm (12 in) in length but are more commonly 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long.^[3]

Colour is highly variable and depends on water clarity (how clear it is) and habitat. Yabbies can range from black, blue-black or dark brown in clear waters to light brown, green-brown or beige in dark waters.^[4] Yabbies specifically bred to be a vibrant blue colour are now popular in the aquarium trade in Australia.

References

1. Crayfish in Europe as Alien Species, eds. Francesca Gherardi; David M. Holdich (Rotterdam, Netherlands: A.A. Balkema, 1999), p. 119
2. "Yabby". Native Fish Australia. 20 September 2006. Archived from the original on 9 December 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
3. Craig Williams. "Cherax destructor". Archived from the original on 2006-12-01. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
4. Chris Goerner. "Cherax destructor". Archived from the original on 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2014-02-18.