Red Cray

New Zealand has two common species of rock lobster: the red or spiny rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii (above), and the green or packhorse rock lobster Jasus verreauxi. They are often referred to as 'crayfish' or 'crays'.

Rock lobsters usually move by night to search for food and shelter, returning to the safety of crevices during the day. They eat a wide variety of bottom life, with a preference for shellfish, crabs, seaweeds, small fish and sea urchins. Crayfish have features that help them explore and respond to their surroundings. A pair of long antennae project from their heads and can be rotated in all directions to touch and explore their rocky habitat. These also serve as defensive lances, as they have serrated edges and can be used to poke or frighten off predators. Between the antennae is a pair of short, jointed feelers that function as sniffers, detecting chemicals in the water. Crayfish can detect the slightest of movements when under water. There is a seasonal movement into shallow water for moulting and mating, and another when females move to the edges of reefs to spawn their eggs.

Rock lobster migrate in large numbers, movements of up to 460 km by red rock lobsters have been recorded. Legal size is attained in 5-10 years, depending on the sex of the lobster, area, and growth rates. Rock lobster may live for over 30 years.

They are often fished by commercial, recreational and by Maori customary fishers. Recreational fishing for the daily limit (6 legal rock lobster per fisher) is largely based on diving, but baited pots are also used.

A long day of stocktake and a meal out afterwards found me a little short for a blip, which soon became a moment of fame for this Red Cray.