Crayfish - Jasus Edwardsii

These large ten-legged crustaceans are generally associated with New Zealand's East-Coastal town Kaikoura which was named after the organism itself (Kai-food Koura-Crayfish) due to the crazy abundance Tama Ki Te Rangi, Maui's grandfather, found when he reached Kaikoura. Crayfish is generally the name given to freshwater lobsters, not the bright orange spiny lobsters (Jasus Edwardsii) which we find off our coast today but New Zealand slang has classed them as the same thing. Koura may be a general name for all lobsters but are thought to specifically be smaller, dark green and are found in rivers and lakes, also known as Yabby.

It's the spiny lobsters that I'm interested in so here are some nifty facts and figures;

Jasus, which we find in our waters, are only found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Some can live for more than 50 years, continuously growing their whole life.

They don't have the organs which all other lobster's carry to make sound. It's called 'Stridulation' and is the act of making sound through rubbing parts of the anatomy together-as crickets and cicadas are famous for. This sound, when made by Lobsters, is a screeching noise which scares of predators.

Spiny Lobsters don't have the large pincers on their front legs which fresh water Lobsters do.

Whilst being nocturnal, and hiding in small caves during the day, they are also carnivorous and feed on small shrimps, snails, crabs, clams and kina.

Maturing usually occurs when the crayfish are 7-11 years old.

These Lobsters take the longest to develop their eggs than any other marine organism-up to 2 years.

Males can grow up to 58 cm long whilst females only reach 43 cm.

Spiny Lobsters sometimes migrate across the sea floor in groups of up to 50 animals. They know where to go because somehow they can detect the earth's magnetic fields and follow them to their next spot.

If one Lobster from a group becomes ill, all others will migrate away from it to protect themselves and leave it to fend for itself.

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The Lobster is one of the most heavily harvested creatures in the world with over 200,000 tonnes caught and distributed yearly worldwide.

Only a few of the hundreds of species are caught for delicacy though.

Of course there is a down side, because this organism is so popular for eating, there is a decline in population numbers, and pollution has taken it's toll by causing shell rot and disease in species which normally could defend off any illnesses.

Keep on eating your Crays, but in moderation, and don't support mass industry fisheries. If you're craving some Cray, catch it yourself, or go to Kaikoura and support awesome locals like Nins Bin. That is all.