Astacopsis gouldi, the Tasmanian giant freshwater lobster (in fact, a kind of crayfish, not lobster), is the largest freshwater invertebrate in the world. Individuals of over 5 kg in weight and over 80 cm long have been known in the past, but now, even individuals over 2 kg are rare. The species is only found below 400 m above sea level in Tasmanian rivers flowing north into the Bass Strait (with the exception of the Tamar). The specific epithet gouldi commemorates the Australian naturalist John Gould.
A. gouldi is very long-lived and reproduces slowly, with the result that fishing this species has had a great impact on its abundance, and also explains why the largest individuals now found are smaller than previously. This species was listed as "vulnerable" under Australian law, and it is now illegal to catch A. gouldi under any circumstances.
External links
AusEmade: Tasmanian giant freshwater lobster
