Leslie Massey
Crustaceans are a diverse group of invertebrates that can be found in a variety of environments, including land and sea. They are a popular food item among humans and provide a source of nutrition for many other marine organisms. In Australia, the Aboriginal People of coastal Sydney have been observed to consume a variety of crustaceans, including crayfish, which were caught in Port Jackson using small hoop nets. Additionally, archaeological evidence suggests that crabs and crayfish were also consumed, although in smaller quantities. Today, Australia is home to a diverse range of crustaceans, including crabs, prawns, rock lobsters, slaters, and barnacles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Crustaceans eaten by the Aboriginal People of coastal Sydney | Oysters, mussels, cockles, limpets, Dal-gal mussel, Dotang-by (a type of rock oyster), Dainia oyster, Kah-dien ('the shell on the'), crayfish, teredinid or Teredo (shipworms) |
| Crustaceans eaten by colonists | Crayfish |
| Crustaceans eaten by people living along the upper brackish parts of the Georges and Hawkesbury Rivers | Teredinid or Teredo (shipworms) |
| Crustaceans found in Sydney Harbour | Blue Swimmer Crabs, Mud Crabs, Soldier Crabs, Spiny Lobsters or Sea-crayfish, Eastern King Prawn, Eastern School Prawn, rock barnacles |
| Crustaceans found in Australia | Banded Cleaner Shrimp, Thalassina squamifera, Painted Rock Lobster, barnacles, crabs, prawns, rock lobsters, slaters, beachhoppers, amphipods, copepods, isopods, mantis shrimp |
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What You'll Learn
Crustaceans eaten by Aboriginal people in Sydney
The Aboriginal people of coastal Sydney collected and ate many different types of shellfish and crustaceans. The only crustaceans reported by the colonists to have been eaten were crayfish, which were caught in Port Jackson with small hoop nets. There is no mention of prawns, crabs, or barnacles being caught or eaten, although the name for crabs, "Ke-ra", was recorded.
However, it is important to note that archaeological excavations have only recovered small amounts of crab and crayfish remains, which may be due to the fragility of their exoskeletons, which do not survive well in archaeological deposits. Additionally, barnacles were found in middens, but they may have been a byproduct of eating other shellfish to which they were attached rather than being directly consumed.
Other crustaceans that were likely eaten by the Aboriginal people of Sydney include various crabs such as the fiddler crab, mangrove crab, and red rock crab, as well as prawns. These crustaceans were abundant in the region and continue to be important food resources for the local Aboriginal communities.
Beyond crustaceans, the Aboriginal people of coastal Sydney also consumed a diverse range of marine life, including marine mammals (seals, dugongs, dolphins, and whales), seabirds, and turtles. They adapted their diet based on the seasonal availability of these food sources, such as exploiting the beaching of whales along the Sydney coastline as an opportunity for a community feast.
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Crustaceans as a food source for other marine life
Crustaceans are an important food source for many marine animals and play a crucial role in the ocean's food chains. Smaller crustaceans, such as amphipods, copepods, and isopods, form the basis of many ocean food webs. They are a vital source of nutrition for larger marine creatures, including other crustaceans, fish, and marine mammals.
In Australia, a diverse range of crustaceans are found across its waters, providing an abundant food source for the local marine life. The country is home to a unique crayfish fauna, including the largest and smallest species globally, such as the Blue Swimmer Crabs and the Spiny Lobsters found in Sydney Harbour. Other common crustaceans in Australian waters include the Mud Crabs, Soldier Crabs, Eastern King Prawns, and various species of barnacles.
Barnacles, in particular, are an important food source for marine life. While they are not often consumed by humans in Australia, they are a delicacy in other parts of the world, such as South America and Europe. In Australia, the Triangular Barnacle (Balanus trigonus) is widespread and plays a vital role in the local marine ecosystem.
Crustaceans are also a significant food source for marine mammals and birds. In the coastal regions of Sydney, Aboriginal people are known to have consumed a variety of crustaceans, including crayfish, oysters, mussels, and cockles. Marine mammals, such as seals, dugongs, dolphins, and whales, as well as seabirds, and possibly turtles, were also part of their diet.
The Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Queensland, is another crucial habitat for crustaceans and the marine life that depends on them. The diverse range of crustaceans in this region, including planktonic copepods and krill, supports a complex food web that sustains the vibrant marine life of the reef.
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Crabs, prawns and crayfish
Prawns are a popular food in Australia, with two-thirds of wild-caught prawns in the country certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Prawns are born in the ocean and then return to the estuaries and river systems their ancestors used, where they eat a variety of plants and animals before returning to the ocean as adults. Prawn fisheries in Australia have developed bycatch reduction devices to reduce the number of other marine species caught in prawn trawling nets, including turtle excluder devices (TEDs) to allow turtles, sharks and rays to escape from nets.
Crayfish are eaten worldwide and are a part of Swedish cuisine, where they are traditionally eaten in August at special crayfish parties. They are also commonly consumed in the United States, particularly in Louisiana, where 93% of crayfish farms in the country are located. As omnivores, crayfish will eat almost anything, including plants, small fish, and even their moulted exoskeletons to recover the calcium and phosphates contained within. They can be lured into traps with baits such as dog biscuits, fish heads, or meat.
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Rock lobsters and barnacles
Rock lobsters, also known as spiny lobsters, are a family of about 60 species of achelate crustaceans. They are found in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and the Bahamas, where they are called crayfish, sea crayfish, or crawfish. They are also sometimes referred to as langustas, langouste, or kreef (in South Africa). Rock lobsters have very long, thick, spiny antennae and lack chelae (claws) on the first four pairs of walking legs, although female rock lobsters of most species have a small claw on the fifth pair. They typically live in the crevices of rocks and coral reefs and only occasionally venture out at night to seek snails, clams, sea-hares, crabs, or sea urchins to eat.
Rock lobsters navigate using the smell and taste of natural substances in the water that change in different parts of the ocean. They can also navigate by detecting the Earth's magnetic field. They produce a rasping sound to repel predators by rubbing the "plectrum" at the base of their antennae against a "file". This creates frictional vibrations, similar to rubber materials sliding against hard surfaces. Rock lobsters are social creatures and tend to move in large groups, keeping together by contact using their long antennae.
Barnacles are arthropods of the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea and are related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. They are exclusively marine invertebrates, with many species living in shallow and tidal waters. Barnacles are commonly found on solid surfaces that get covered by water, such as rocks, dock pilings, boats, and even mussels. They have a carapace made of six hard calcareous plates, with a lid or operculum made of four more plates. Inside the carapace, the barnacle lies on its stomach, projecting its limbs downwards.
Barnacles feed on plankton, which they sweep from the water with their feathery legs or fan-like feet. They open their operculum when the tide comes in, allowing their legs to sift the water for food. The more they eat, the more they grow, and they must deal with the constraints of their surrounding house and their own shell. Barnacles have many predators, including whelks, a type of snail that can grind through their calcareous exoskeleton. Other predators include starfish, certain species of flatworms, and various parasites.
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Crustaceans in the Australian Museum
The Australian Museum has a long tradition of studying crustaceans, with extensive research on marine invertebrates. Crustaceans are a diverse group of invertebrates that can be found in various environments, including land and sea. The museum's collection includes well-known crustaceans like prawns, crayfish, and crabs, as well as less familiar groups such as sand fleas (amphipods) and stomatopods (prawn killers).
The Aboriginal People of coastal Sydney, including regions like Botany Bay, Broken Bay, and Port Jackson, had a rich and complex culture that involved collecting and consuming various types of shellfish and crustaceans. Early historical observations indicate that both men and women participated in shellfish collection by hand from rock platforms and the sandy, muddy intertidal shorelines of the coast and estuaries. Oysters, mussels, cockles, and limpets were commonly consumed, with local names recorded for a few species.
The only crustaceans reported to be eaten by the colonists were crayfish, caught in Port Jackson using small hoop nets. Archaeological excavations have yielded small amounts of crab and crayfish remains, likely due to the fragility of their exoskeletons. Barnacles, often attached to other shellfish, were also present but may not have been directly collected for food.
The Australian Museum's Marine Invertebrate Collection has discovered seven species of mysids in the coastal waters of NSW, with two new species named after Stephen Keable and Anna Murray. The museum also houses significant collections of earthworms, bristle worms, and leeches, showcasing the adaptability of these creatures to various habitats.
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Frequently asked questions
The Aboriginal People of coastal Sydney were reported to have eaten crayfish, which were caught in Port Jackson with small hoop nets. There is also evidence of them eating oysters, mussels, cockles, and limpets.
Crustaceans found in Australia include crabs, prawns, rock lobsters, slaters, barnacles, and crayfish.
Barnacles are a type of crustacean that attaches itself to man-made structures like the hulls of boats and wharf pilings. They are not known to move once they have settled onto a surface, and they are a food source for many marine organisms.
