riSH AND FISHERIES. 125 



CHAPTER IX. 



Crustacea. 



The Crustacea of Australia have recently formed the subject of special 

 study by Mr. W. A. Haswell, and the results have been published by 

 the Trustees of the Australian Museum.* From this work it appears that 

 our species are numerous, though very few are used as articles of food. 



The Sea Crab. 



(Plate XLII.) 



Two swimming crabs are often seen in the market — -Scylla serrata 

 and Neptunus pelagicus, Linnf They both have a very wide range. 

 aS'. serrata is taken in the Endeavour River as well as at Port Jackson. 

 They are generally taken in the seine-net, and being of excellent 

 quality are readily bought up in the market. With one exception, 

 however, they are too small to be of much use, the exception being 

 Scylla serrata, which is said to attain a weight of 4 lbs. and to be 

 equal to the Scotch partan. It is however seldom caught, though there 

 is no I'eason to believe that it is rare on our coasts. Nothing seems to 

 have been observed as to the habits and breeding-time of those Crustacea. 

 None of the numerous shore crabs are ever used as food. One species 

 of the latter is very common all along the east coast, from the extreme 

 north to Port Jackson, i.e. Grapsus variegatus, Fab. This species 

 extends all through the Pacific to the coasts of Chili. 



The Cray-fish. 



(Plate XLIII.) 



The Marcourous Crustacea are better known. The large cray-fish {Palinurus 

 hugelii, Heller) is about the finest of its kind. It attains a weight of 6 lbs., and 

 when in season is entirely filled with meat of the most excellent quality. It is 

 found during the summer season abundantly in most of our bays and along all 

 parts of the coast, and is caught by means of circular hand-nets from boats. In 

 the early part of summer the ova are found within the abdomen of the female, 

 when it is known to goui'mets as the " coral." The animal is then in the finest 

 condition. About January the ova are shed, and are carried for a long time in a 

 semi-hatched state on the underside of the tail or abdomen of the mother. Unfor- 

 tunately the quality for food of the cray-fish does not seem to suffer much at this 

 period, as is the case with crabs and other Crustacea while undergoing the above 

 process ; the consequence is that the destruction of the young fish with the mother 

 is going on during the entire season. The consumption in Sydney of this crus- 

 tacean is very considerable, and the price is generally high, but at times there is a 

 glut in the market, and in consequence a serious fall in price. There are many 

 parts of the coast too distant from Sydney for the supply of that market, where we 

 believe that establishments for the ' ' canning " of this most valuable crustacean 

 could be most profitably undertaken. One such place is the Broughton Islands, 

 a few miles north of Port Stephens, where the supply of this crustacean is 

 unlimited. The demand for tinned lobster is great all over the world, and in North 

 America, from which it chiefly comes, the supply is rapidly diminishing. 



*" The Stalk and Sessile-eyed Crustacea of Australia," by W. A. Haswell, Sydney, 

 1882. 



t Thia crab is very widely distributed, and swims in the deepest seas. 



