Monteith's Crayfish
Euastacus monteithorum
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since:
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Critically Endangered
Listed since:
Listed since:
Description
Description
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
Monteith's Spiny Crayfish is a small freshwater crayfish with relatively few spines which is found in the rainforest portions of a number of headwater creeks at elevations about 800m in the Kroombit Tops National Park and the Dawes National Park. Little is known about their life cycle with information inferred from knowledge of similar species.
Threats
The Monteith's Spiny Crayfish threats include bushfire, with the large 2019-2020 bushfires affecting both national parks in which this species is found. The effects of climate change threaten this species due to dried conditions and increased risk of bushfires.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
Heading 6
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.
Average life span:
Number of young produced each year:
Number of breeding events each year:
Minmum sexual maturity age:
Who is helping
DCCEEW - Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
SPRAT - DCCEEW Species Profile and Threats Database