Inspired by the endangered freshwater Crayfish of NW Tasmania.

Tayatea: The Giant Freshwater Crayfish.

The Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish (Astacopsis gouldi) is the largest freshwater invertebrate in the world. The species is only found in the rivers below 400 metres ASL in NW Tas.

It is listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List due to overfishing and habitat degradation, experts estimate there are less than 100,000 in the wild. The tayatea requires pristine environments to survive without erosion or silted rivers.

The diet of the freshwater crayfish varies with age, but predominantly consists of decaying wood, leaves and their associated microbes. A. gouldi is very long-lived, surviving for up to 60 years.

Females mate and spawn once every two years in autumn after a summer moult, producing 224–1300 eggs proportional to its size. Gestation of the eggs takes about nine months, with females carrying the eggs on their tail through winter. After hatching in mid-summer, the hatchlings of about 6 millimetres attach to the female's swimming legs and will remain with the mother until a few months later in autumn. A long reproductive process means that females spend much of their life attached to their eggs and hatchlings.

The tayatea is currently a threatened species.

Original $1500. A portion of the sales of this work goes to the protection of takayna.

Archival Pigment Giclee Print | 220gsm Cotton Rag Paper | Sizes

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Exploring Ecology

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