Identifying Freshwater Crayfish in South West WA

Gilgie

(two species in WA) Cherax quinquecarinatus and C.crassimanus

Gilgies can be commonly found in most streams, rivers and irrigation dams in the South West, and are often caught while marroning. Gilgies can burrow to escape droughts and have a wider distribution than marron.

Gilgies also have five keels along their heads, like the marron, but only have two pairs of small spines on their rostrum. Gilgies do not have any spines on their telson. Gilgies' chelipeds are more rounded than marrons' but are narrower than koonacs' or yabbies'. Most gilgies are small, but may reach 130 mm in total length. Gilgies range in colour from a black-brown to a light brown colour, and often have speckled patterns on their chelipeds.

Gilgie photo and drawings