Abstract

The large Australian crayfish species, Euastacus bispinosus, grows slowly and reaches a maximum recorded size of 130 mm occipital carapace length (OCL, approximately 1.1 kg). Growth was determined by rearing juveniles in the laboratory, and by mark-recapture sampling from the Glenelg and Crawford Rivers, Victoria. In the laboratory, the interrnoult period increased and the percentage mass increment decreased with increasing juvenile mass. In the field, most crayfish moulted between January and May; crayfish less than 50 mm OCL probably moulted again in mid­November. The percentage moult increment of crayfish in the field was highly correlated with pre-moult OCL. Size at age was estimated from both laboratory and field data. Estimated sizes were: 0 years, 5.1 mm OCL; 2 years, 31-42 mm OCL; 1 O years, 82-94 mm OCL; 15 years, 103-115 mm OCL; 20 years, 115-132 mm OCL. Growth rates of males and females were not significantly different. Both moult increment and moult frequency probably decreased above 11 O mm OCL. Female crayfish took between 8 and 11 years to reach sexual maturity (85 mm OCL), and at least 26 years to reach the maximum recorded size.

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