Abstract

The reproductive biology of the semi-terrestrial burrowing freshwater crayfish Parastacoides t. tasmanicus was studied in the wet heath lands of South-West Tasmania. Data on seasonal reproduction and fecundity were obtained from regular monthly sampling over a period of 2 years. The development of gonads, size at maturity, sexual dimorphism, and reproductive condition were determined by detailed examination of changes in reproductive morphology and gonad condition. Males reach sexual maturity at a smaller size than females. Mating and spawning, which closely follow the female molt, occur in early autumn when males and reproductive females pair within their burrow systems, eggs arc carried over winter, batch early the following summer ,and young remain attached to their mothers until mid summer. Mature females exhibit a biennial molting and breeding cycle which is a unique strategy, apparently a result of the cooler climate conditions in Tasmania.

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