Yabby

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Cherax destructor (common yabby)
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Cherax destructor (common yabby)

Yabby is a name given in Australia to two different kinds of crustacean.

  • Freshwater yabbies are crayfish of the genus Cherax (infraorder Astacidea, family Parastacidae). They are often caught for food. A widespread species is the common yabby, Cherax destructor.
  • Marine yabbies are ghost shrimps (infraorder Thalassinidea), which live in deep burrows in the intertidal zone. They are used as bait for fishing, especially in Queensland and northern New South Wales. A common species in south-eastern Australia is the Bass yabby, Trypaea australiensis.

The name is derived from the word yabij in the Aboriginal language Wemba.

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