Common yabby
Cherax destructor
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Photo credit: Daiju Azuma © CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15938857
Cherax destructor – Common yabby
Description:
Habitat:
Origin and Distribution:
Impacts:
Is it found in Northern Ireland?
How could it get here?
Prevent Spread
You can help by reporting any sightings: @ the Centre for Environmental Data & Recording (CEDaR) - Or via the iRecord App.
Current legislative position (Listed on 07 August 2025) This species must not intentionally be brought into the Union; kept; bred; transported to, from or within the United Kingdom, unless for the transportation to facilities in the context of eradication; placed on the market; used or exchanged; permitted to reproduce, grown or cultivated; or released into the environment.
For further queries, you can contact the Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) Team in the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on 028 9056 9558 or Email: invasivespecies@daera-ni.gov.uk
Cherax destructor – Common yabby
Description:
- A large, hardy, freshwater crayfish species
- Usually 10-20 cm long but can reach up to 30 cm
- A smooth carapace that varies in colour depending on the habitat
- Colour can range from green-beige to almost black
- They construct burrows that are connected by a series of tunnels
Habitat:
- Inhabits a variety of habitats, such as springs, lakes, alpine streams, subtropical creeks, swamps, dams, and irrigation canals
- Most commonly found in stagnant or slow-moving waters with muddy or silted bottoms
Origin and Distribution:
- Native to Australia
- Established populations in Spain, Italy, France and in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland
- Present in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and England
Impacts:
- Can carry crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci), which is lethal to the native white-clawed crayfish
- Has the potential to outcompete our native crayfish due to their larger size and higher fecundity
- Burrowing behaviour can destabilise river and canal banks increasing flood risk
Is it found in Northern Ireland?
- No, it is not currently found in Northern Ireland
How could it get here?
- Escape or intentional release of species kept as pets
- Escape from private ponds
Prevent Spread
- Report all sightings
- Do not release animals into or move animals between waterbodies
- Check boats when they are being taken out of water or moved between waterbodies
- Great care must be taken to ensure individuals kept in confinement do not escape
You can help by reporting any sightings: @ the Centre for Environmental Data & Recording (CEDaR) - Or via the iRecord App.
Current legislative position (Listed on 07 August 2025) This species must not intentionally be brought into the Union; kept; bred; transported to, from or within the United Kingdom, unless for the transportation to facilities in the context of eradication; placed on the market; used or exchanged; permitted to reproduce, grown or cultivated; or released into the environment.
For further queries, you can contact the Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) Team in the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on 028 9056 9558 or Email: invasivespecies@daera-ni.gov.uk