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Euastacus Bidawalus

Euastacus Bidawalus
East Gippsland Spiny Cray 

 Kingdom:     Animalia
Phylum:     Arthropoda
Subphylum:     Crustacea
Class:     Malacostraca
Order:     Decapoda
Family:     Parastacidae
Genus:     Euastacus
Species:   Euastacus Bidawalus

Local Name : East Gippsland Spiny Cray

Habitat : Cann River, Victoria. Australia

Size in Natural :

Male Large then Female

Distribution
Euastacus Bidawalus is endemic to Australia. The distribution of this species encompasses an  area from near Mount Imlay (south of Eden, New South Wales) to Lind National Park near the  Cann River (Victoria), a distance of approximately 90 km. Euastacus bidawalus is a highland  species known from altitudes between 150 and 400 m above sea level (Morgan 1986). The  Extent Of Occurrence for the species is <5,000 km2. Although the species occurs in a number of streams, these are headwaters of various different drainages, on different mountain ranges, and  therefore the species’ distribution is clearly fragmented (Morgan 1997; Ponniah and Hughes 2006). 

Habitat and Ecology
Euastacus bidawalus inhabits streams with sclerophyllous riparian vegetation assemblages  (Morgan 1986). The species does occupy streams where vegetation has been largely cleared, providing some riparian vegetation is present (Morgan 1986).

The species is susceptible to the following threats:
-  Climate change, particularly with regard to altered hydrological regimes and severe  weather events. Climate change modelling predicts that southeastern mainland Australia will experience a warmer and drier climate, leading to decreased runoff and soil moisture (Chiew and McMahon 2002; Howden 2003; Hughes 2003; Pittock 2003; Hennessy 2006; Westoby and Burgman 2006; IPCC 2007).
-  This alteration of hydrological regimes is likely to impact environmental flows, particularly in areas of increasing demand for domestic, industrial and agricultural water supplies (Hennessy 2006).
-  Over-exploitation. Although technically protected by recreational fishing regulations, this restricted range species is susceptible to over-exploitation by collectors and illegal fishing pressure (O’Brien 2007).
 -  Exotic fish. Potentially large scale threats from exotic fishes such as Brown Trout or Redfin Perch, which are prevalent throughout the region (Davies and McDowall 1996; Rowe et al. 2008).
-  Other exotic species (cats, foxes, pigs, goats) that have generally been found to impact on crayfish (e.g. Green and Osbourne 1981; Horwitz 1990; Merrick 1995; Eyre et al. 1997; ACT Government 2007; O’Brien 2007) also  occur in this species’ range (DEH 2004a,b,c,d), and could have localised impacts on Euastacus bidawalus and contribute to declines in distribution and/or local abundance.

Euastacus Bidawalus Map