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New Zealand's Crayfish
Come learn about the amazing red crayfish, a special sea animal from New Zealand. Its scientific name is Jasus edwardsii. You can find these crayfish in the ocean waters along New Zealand's coast.
Summary of Video
  • All these animals are decapods (10-legged crustaceans), but spiny lobsters belong to a different superfamily than true lobsters.
  • Spiny lobsters have a hard spiny shell, long antennae that sense vibrations, and can make a snapping sound to scare predators.
  • Their abdomen is segmented with a fan tail for fast escape, and males and females differ in their swimming legs (females use them to hold eggs).
  • Inside the cephalothorax are the heart, gills, hepatopancreas (digestive organ), and gonads, while the abdomen contains the main edible muscle.
  • The presenter removes the tail meat, cooks it with butter and garlic, and finds the frozen spiny lobster still tastes firm and good.
Let's learn about the Crayfish, also known as Jasus edwardsii. That's its special scientific name, like its full name!
These crayfish live in the cool ocean waters around New Zealand. They like to hide in rocky places on the seabed. They are a brownish-red color and have long antennae that help them feel their way around.
Crayfish eat different kinds of shellfish and sea creatures. They are very important for the ocean environment. They start as tiny eggs, then hatch into very small "baby crayfish" called phyllosoma. These baby crayfish float in the sea for a long time. They then change into "young crayfish" (pueruli) and finally grow into the big crayfish we see.
Sometimes, changes in ocean chemistry can make it harder for these crayfish to live and grow. It's important to protect their homes.
The Life Cycle
01
Eggs
Female lobsters lay fertilized eggs. They keep these eggs safe under their tails until they hatch.
02
Larvae
The eggs grow into tiny swimming baby lobsters, called phyllosoma. They drift in the ocean water for a long time, sometimes up to two years. During this time, they lose their old shells many times to get bigger.
03
Juveniles
These baby lobsters then turn into young lobsters, also called pueruli. They go down to the ocean floor and start to look like grown-up lobsters.
04
Adults
Young lobsters grow for several years. When they are about 7 to 10 years old, they are ready to have their own babies.
Why Crayfish Are Important
These crayfish are very important in New Zealand and around the world, especially in Asian countries. This helps towns near the ocean by giving people jobs and money. People follow special rules when catching crayfish. This makes sure not too many are caught, so there are always plenty for the future.
What They Do in the Ocean
In their ocean home, these crayfish, called Jasus edwardsii, are important. They are both hunters and food for other animals in the ocean.
As Hunters
They eat different shellfish and other sea creatures. This helps keep the seabed healthy and balanced.
As Food
Bigger ocean animals eat them. This makes them an important part of the ocean's food web.
When there are many healthy crayfish, it shows that the ocean environment is strong and balanced.
Conservation and Management

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To make sure Jasus edwardsii populations remain healthy for the long term, New Zealand uses several conservation and management strategies.
Catch Limits
Setting strict limits on how many lobsters can be caught
Monitoring
Watching lobster populations carefully
Size Rules
Enforcing size restrictions to protect young lobsters
Protected Areas
Marine reserves help conserve lobster habitats and support recovery of populations
Research and management practices are continually improved to respond to changing environmental conditions and fishing pressures.
Problems for the Crayfish Industry
The crayfish (Jasus edwardsii) fishing industry has some big problems. These problems can harm the crayfish and where they live.
Catching Crayfish Secretly
When people catch crayfish without following the rules, it hurts plans to protect them. This can also lower the number of crayfish in the ocean.
Losing Homes
Crayfish need rocky reefs to live. When these places are damaged by building near the coast or by pollution, crayfish have fewer safe homes.
Changing Weather
Changes in the Earth's weather can make the ocean warmer and change its chemistry. This can make it harder for crayfish to find food, live in their usual spots, and have baby crayfish.
Summary
In summary, the Jasus edwardsii, also known as the crayfish, is a very important animal in New Zealand's oceans. It plays a big part in ocean life and helps the country's economy. Understanding how these crayfish live and their role in the ocean shows us why we need good ways to protect them. This will help make sure they stay healthy and keep their ocean homes safe.