Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 56

The distribution, ecology and conservation status of Euastacus urospinosus Riek, 1956 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), a dwarf freshwater crayfish from the Mary and Brisbane River drainages, south-eastern Queensland

Citation

McCormack, R.B. & Van Der Werf, P. 2013. The distribution, ecology and conservation status of Euastacus urospinosus Riek, 1956 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae), a dwarf freshwater crayfish from the Mary and Brisbane River drainages, south-eastern Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 56(2): 639-646. Brisbane. ISSN 0079-8835. https://doi.org/10.17082/j.2204-1478.56.2.2013-20

Published online

30 June 2013

Peer reviewed

Yes

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17082/j.2204-1478.56.2.2013-20

Keywords

conservation, crayfish, distribution, ecology, Conondale Range, Mary River, Brisbane River, Euastacus urospinosus

Abstract 

The Maleny Crayfish Euastacus urospinosus has previously only been recorded from Booloumba and Obi Obi Creeks, Mary River, Queensland. Recent biological surveys of the region have extended its known distribution to include rainforested streams draining both sides of the Conondale Range into the Mary and Brisbane Rivers. In the Brisbane River drainage E. urospinosus was found from 415 to 613 m elevation at 15 sites in 5 creek systems, and was abundant at each site. New observations on burrowing and ecological preferences are presented. E. urospinosus appears to be dependant on the presence of bangalow palm trees (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana). The newly extended distribution, along with an assessment of current threats, suggests that the current IUCN listing of 'Endangered' could potentially be downgraded to 'near threatened', but only after a genetic analysis to assess the possible isolation of populations between catchments.