Abstract

The common name 'yabby' is derived from one of the numerous aboriginal terms for the group of Cherax that are spread throughout south-eastern and central Australia. These small to large freshwater crayfish are found in a wide variety of habitats including desert mound springs, alpine streams, subtropical creeks, rivers, billabongs, ephemeral lakes and swamps. With the increased interest in yabby farming, these crayfish have, in a number of cases, been translocated over large distances. This expedition involved sampling populations from a diverse range of ecotypes which were unlikely to have been the subject of translocations and are therefore likely to represent endemic populations adapted to a variety of habitats. A large number of habitats of the putative species and strains of the 'yabby complex' are currently under pressure due to the impact of man. In particular, a number of the type localities, recorded for species within the 'yabby complex', and some of the collection localities of previous researchers, no longer exist or have been severely degraded. The results of this expedition indicate that there is considerable variation in not only morphology, as reported by previous authors, but also habitat type. Issues concerning the preservation of yabby species and habitats, along with implications for aquaculture, are discussed.

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