Abstract
The biology and distribution of the threatened Mountain Crayfish Euastacus sulcatus, was examined through widespread sampling and a long-term mark and recapture program in New South Wales. Crayfish surveys were undertaken at 245 regional sites between 2001 and 2005, and the species was recorded at 27 sites in the Clarence, Richmond and Tweed River drainages of New South Wales, including the only three historic sites of record in the state, Brindle Creek, Mount Warning and Richmond Range. The species was restricted to highland, forested sites (220-890 m above sea level), primarily in national park and state forest reserves. Adult crayfish disappear from the observable population during the cooler months, re-emerging in October when the reproductive season commences. Females mature at approximately 50mm OCL, and all mature females engage in breeding during a mass spawning season in spring, carrying 45-600 eggs. Eggs take six to seven weeks to develop, and the hatched juveniles remain within the clutch for a further 2.5 weeks. This reproductive cycle is relatively short, and represents a more protracted and later breeding season than has been inferred for the species in Queensland. A combination of infrequent moulting and small moult increments indicated an exceptionally slow growth rate; large animals could feasibly be 40-50 years old. Implications for the conservation and management of E. sulcatus are discussed.
Highlights
Edgar Riek (1951) formally described the Mountain Crayfish, Euastacus sulcatus, from over one hundred specimens collected from Tamborine Mountain and Lamington National Park (NP) in southeastern Queensland, Australia
Euastacus sulcatus is widespread in montane habitats east of the Clarence River valley, while E. suttoni is widespread in montane habitats to the west
Several poorly spinose species of Euastacus were sympatric with E. sulcatus, including E. angustus, E. binzayedi, E. dalagarbe, E. girurmulayn, E. guruhgi, E. jagabar, E. jagara and E. maidae
Summary
Edgar Riek (1951) formally described the Mountain Crayfish, Euastacus sulcatus, from over one hundred specimens collected from Tamborine Mountain and Lamington National Park (NP) in southeastern Queensland, Australia. The collections by Morgan (1988) provided a more complete understanding of the distribution for E. sulcatus, extending in an arc from Tambourine Mountain to the Lamington Plateau, westwards along the McPherson Range bordering New South Wales (NSW), and north again to the Mistake Mountains. The species differs from most other large, spiny species of Euastacus, including E. suttoni and E. valentulus in the immediate region, in that it lacks thoracic spines It is regionally unique because it exhibits marked base colour variation: for example, specimens from the Lamington Plateau and Springbrook in Queensland are blue, while specimens from Brindle Creek and the Richmond Range in NSW are typically red (Morgan 1988; Coughran 2000, 2006a,b). I present the findings of a detailed biological research program encompassing both broad field surveys in NSW, and a two-year mark and recapture program examining the biology of E. sulcatus
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