Abstract

Length-weight data are presented for male and female, Cherax tenuimanus (marron), C. quadricarinatus (redclaw) and C. destructor (yabby). A univariate statistical analysis confirms the large size of these freshwater crayfish species. Marron were larger than redclaw which in tum were larger than yabbies: These size differences, however, are confounded by the degree of sexual dimorphism in size with females being distinctly smaller than males. Length-weight relationships are described by regression analysis of log transformed variables with male redclaw and male yabbies having the highest regression coefficients (3.29 and 3.22 respectively) and female yabbies the lowest (2.61). The regression coefficients were intermediate for female redclaw (2.92), female marron (2.76) and male marron (2.73). An inverse relationship between the degree of sexual dimorphism and the size of the species is apparent. Statistical comparisons of length-weight relationships, made by analysis of covariance, indicated major differences amongst samples. An exception was the comparison between male and female marron which was non significant for both slope and elevation. This contrasted with the highly significant differences in slope between male and female yabbies which exceeded the inter-specific difference between marron and redclaw. Factors which may contributed to variability in length-weight relationships in freshwater crayfish are discussed.

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