# Astacopsis

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{{Short description|Genus of crayfishes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Sketchbook of fishes - 34. Fresh water crayfish William Buelow Gould, c1832.jpg
| image_caption = Watercolour of Astacopsis tricornis from "Sketchbook of fishes" by WB Gould
| display_parents = 2
| taxon = Astacopsis
| authority = Huxley, 1879
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
| type_species = 
| synonyms = 
| range_map = Astacopsis distribution.svg
| range_map_caption = Astacopsis distribution
}}

'''''Astacopsis''''' is a genus of [crayfish](/source/crayfish) endemic to the island of [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania). There are three extant species, ''[Astacopsis gouldi](/source/Astacopsis_gouldi)'', ''[Astacopsis franklinii](/source/Astacopsis_franklinii)'', and ''[Astacopsis tricornis](/source/Astacopsis_tricornis)''. All are threatened by illegal harvesting,<ref name="gouldii">{{cite iucn |author=Walsh, T. |author2=Doran, N. |date=2010 |title=''Astacopsis gouldi'' |volume=2010 |article-number=e.T2190A9337732 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T2190A9337732.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="franklinii">{{cite iucn |author=Hamr, P. |date=2010 |title=''Astacopsis franklinii'' |volume=2010 |article-number=e.T153687A4532072 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T153687A4532072.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="tricornis">{{cite iucn |author=Hamr, P. |date=2010 |title=''Astacopsis tricornis'' |volume=2010 |article-number=e.T153640A4525358 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T153640A4525358.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref> and ''A. gouldi'' is protected by law.<ref name="gouldii"/> ''A. franklinii'' is found in the eastern half of the island,<ref name="franklinii"/> with ''A. tricornis'' taking its place in the west.<ref name="tricornis"/> ''A. gouldi'' is found only in rivers draining into the [Bass Strait](/source/Bass_Strait), except for the [Tamar River](/source/Tamar_River).

The three species were named by naturalist Ellen Clark in 1936.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Clark|first=Ellen|date=1938|title=The freshwater and land crayfish of Australia|journal=Memoirs of the National Museum, Melbourne|volume=10|pages=5–58|doi=10.24199/j.mmv.1936.10.01|issn=0311-9548|doi-access=free}}</ref> Prior to Clark's revision, all three species were collectively known as ''Astacopsis franklinii''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Mulhern|first=TD|date=2018|title=Correcting misconceptions about the names applied to Tasmania's giant freshwater crayfish Astacopsis gouldi (Decapoda: Parastacidae)|journal=Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania|volume=152|pages=21–26|doi=10.26749/rstpp.152.21|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://taxonomicon.taxonomy.nl/Reference.aspx?id=4340|title=J.E. Gray, 1845. In Eyre, E.J. Journals of Expeditions of Discovery into Central Australia, and Overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound, in the Years 1840-41. T. & W. Boone, London. - Reference Details - The Taxonomicon|website=taxonomicon.taxonomy.nl|access-date=2019-07-19}}</ref> The most famous depiction of a crayfish of the genus ''Astacopsis'' is in the "Sketchbook of fishes" by convict artist [William Buelow Gould](/source/William_Buelow_Gould), painted at the [Macquarie Harbour](/source/Macquarie_Harbour_Penal_Station) penal station circa 1832. Based on the location of observation and morphology evident in the image the specimen Gould painted was ''A. tricornis''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hamr|first=P.|date=1992|title=A revision of the Tasmanian freshwater crayfish genus Astacopsis Huxley (Decapoda: Parastacidae)|journal=Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania|language=en|volume=126|pages=91–94|doi=10.26749/rstpp.126.91|issn=0080-4703|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Contrary to popular belief, ''A. gouldi'' was not named after WB Gould, but was named by Ellen Clark after the first Tasmanian Government Geological Surveyor [Charles Gould](/source/Charles_Gould_(geologist)), who published observations on [giant freshwater crayfish](/source/Tasmanian_giant_freshwater_crayfish) distribution, diet and habits in 1870.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gould|first=Charles|date=1870|title=On the distribution and habits of the large fresh-water crayfish (Astacus sp.) of the northern rivers of Tasmania|url=https://eprints.utas.edu.au/15081/|journal=Monthly Notices of Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania|language=en|pages=42–44}}</ref>

==Extant Species==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific name  !! Common name  !! Distribution
|-
| || ''[Astacopsis gouldi](/source/Astacopsis_gouldi)''||Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish  || northern Tasmania
|-
| || ''[Astacopsis franklinii](/source/Astacopsis_franklinii)''|| ||Eastern Tasmania
|-
| || ''[Astacopsis tricornis](/source/Astacopsis_tricornis)''|| ||Western Tasmania 
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Astacopsis|''Astacopsis''}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q20080718}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:Parastacidae
Category:Freshwater crustaceans of Australia

{{Crayfish-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Astacopsis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astacopsis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astacopsis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.