Sagmariasus

Sagmariasus verreauxi is a species of spiny lobster that lives around northern New Zealand, the Kermadec Islands the Chatham Islands and Australia from Queensland to Tasmania.[3] It is probably the longest decapod crustacean in the world, alongside the American lobster Homarus americanus, growing to lengths of up to 60 centimetres (24 in).[3]

Sagmariasus verreauxi
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Family:	Palinuridae
Genus:	Sagmariasus Holthuis, 1991
Species:	S. verreauxi
Binomial name
Sagmariasus verreauxi (H. Milne-Edwards, 1851)
Synonyms[2][3]
Palinurus verreauxi H. Milne-Edwards, 1851 Jasus verreauxi (H. Milne-Edwards, 1851) Palinurus huegelii Heller, 1862 Palinurus tumidus Kirk, 1880 Palinurus giganteus Kirk, 1880 Jasus huegelii Ortmann, 1891 Palinosytus huegelii Stebbing, 1893

Names

Model of Sagmariasus verreauxi

The species has many common names in English, including Australian crayfish, common crayfish, common Sydney crayfish, eastern crayfish, eastern rock lobster, green cray, green crayfish, green lobster, green rock lobster, marine crayfish, New South Wales spiny lobster, packhorse crayfish, packhorse lobster, sea crayfish, smooth-tailed crayfish and Sydney crayfish.[2] In Māori, it is called pawharu.[2] S. verreauxi was formerly included in the genus Jasus, but has been separated into a monotypic genus Sagmariasus due to the lack of sculpturation on the abdomen, which is found in all other Jasus species.[3] The name Sagmarasius derives from the Greek σαγμαριον (sagmarion), meaning packhorse, and the genus name Jasus, in reference to the common name "packhorse crayfish".[3]

References

1. A. MacDiarmid; A. Cockcroft & M. Butler (2011). "Sagmariasus verreauxi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T170017A6708366. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T170017A6708366.en.
2. T. Chan (2009). "Sagmariasus verreauxi (H. Milne Edwards, 1851)". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
3. Lipke B. Holthuis (1991). "Jasus verreauxi (Green rock lobster)". FAO Species Catalogue, Volume 13. Marine Lobsters of the World. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Food and Agriculture Organization. pp. 104–106. ISBN 92-5-103027-8. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07.

Further reading

• Booth, John (2011). Spiny lobsters : through the eyes of the giant packhorse. Wellington [N.Z.]: Victoria University Press. ISBN 9780864736550.