Balmain bug
Encyclopedia
Ibacus peronii, the Balmain bug or butterfly fan lobster, is a species
of slipper lobster
. It lives in shallow waters around Australia
and is the subject of small-scale fishery. It is a flattened, reddish brown animal, up to 23 cm (9 in) long and 14 cm (6 in) wide, with flattened antennae and no claws.
s, Ibacus peronii has a broad, flattened body and a large carapace
. The carapace is reddish brown, and reaches lengths of 2–8 cm (0.78740157480315–3.1 ), with the whole animal able to reach a length of 23 cm (9 in), and a width of 10 centimetre. The antennae
are also short and broad, and the flattened form of the whole animal allows it to partly bury itself in soft substrates
. There are no claws on the five pairs of legs. Captured animals typically weigh around 120 grams (4.2 oz), but the weight can range from 80 gram.
The species is sometimes confused with the Moreton Bay bug
, Thenus orientalis, but they can be distinguished by the placement of the eyes: the eyes of I. peronii are near the midline, while those of T. orientalis are at the margin of the carapace.
from Southport
in Queensland
to Geraldton
in Western Australia
. A further population exists in Western Australia
from Port Hedland
to Broome
.
Ibacus peronii is nocturnal and feeds on algae
and small crustacean
s. They often spend the daytime buried in sand or mud.
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Ibacus peronii is the most commercially important species in the genus Ibacus
. Only wild-caught Ibacus peronii are available, although some research into aquaculture
is ongoing. The fishery for I. peronii is focussed around New South Wales
, where it is mainly caught as bycatch
of trawling
for fish and prawns. There is a peak in supply in January and February, and the price is highest in areas where it is caught, because of its increased familiarity and popularity there. I. peronii is almost always available at fish market
s in Sydney.
The flesh of I. peronii is sometimes reported as tasting of garlic
, which makes the species less desirable than the Moreton Bay bug
, Thenus orientalis, for cooking. Only the tail contains edible meat. Small individuals yield 30% meat, while larger animals, which have proportionally smaller tails, have lower yields.
by William Elford Leach
in 1815, based on material collected by François Péron
. Péron had labelled the animal Scyllarus incisus, and had previously called it Scyllarus kingiensis. Although the type locality was given simply as "New Holland
" (now Australia
), historical records demonstrate that the animal was caught off King Island, in the Bass Strait
between Tasmania
and the Australian mainland.
Common name
s used in Australia for Ibacus peronii include Balmain bug, Eastern Balmain bug, butterfly lobster, flapjack, Péron's Ibacus crab, sand crayfish, sand lobster, southern shovel-nosed lobster, prawn killer and squagga, although the last two are not in current use. The named preferred by the Food and Agriculture Organization
is butterfly fan lobster. Although it is most widely known as the "Balmain bug", three other species of Ibacus
share that name.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of slipper lobster
Slipper lobster
Slipper lobsters are a family of decapod crustaceans found in all warm oceans and seas. Despite their name, they are not true lobsters, but are more closely related to spiny lobsters and furry lobsters. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae, which project forward...
. It lives in shallow waters around Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and is the subject of small-scale fishery. It is a flattened, reddish brown animal, up to 23 cm (9 in) long and 14 cm (6 in) wide, with flattened antennae and no claws.
Description
In common with other slipper lobsterSlipper lobster
Slipper lobsters are a family of decapod crustaceans found in all warm oceans and seas. Despite their name, they are not true lobsters, but are more closely related to spiny lobsters and furry lobsters. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae, which project forward...
s, Ibacus peronii has a broad, flattened body and a large carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
. The carapace is reddish brown, and reaches lengths of 2–8 cm (0.78740157480315–3.1 ), with the whole animal able to reach a length of 23 cm (9 in), and a width of 10 centimetre. The antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
are also short and broad, and the flattened form of the whole animal allows it to partly bury itself in soft substrates
Substrate (biology)
In biology a substrate is the surface a plant or animal lives upon and grows on. A substrate can include biotic or abiotic materials and animals. For example, encrusting algae that lives on a rock can be substrate for another animal that lives on top of the algae. See also substrate .-External...
. There are no claws on the five pairs of legs. Captured animals typically weigh around 120 grams (4.2 oz), but the weight can range from 80 gram.
The species is sometimes confused with the Moreton Bay bug
Moreton Bay bug
Thenus orientalis is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans.T. orientalis is known by a number of common names. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while the official Australian name is Bay lobster...
, Thenus orientalis, but they can be distinguished by the placement of the eyes: the eyes of I. peronii are near the midline, while those of T. orientalis are at the margin of the carapace.
Distribution and ecology
It is found at depths of 20–450 m (65.6–1,476.4 ) off the coast of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
to Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. A further population exists in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
from Port Hedland
Port Hedland, Western Australia
Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
to Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
.
Ibacus peronii is nocturnal and feeds on algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
and small crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s. They often spend the daytime buried in sand or mud.
Fishery
Ibacus
Ibacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, including commercially important species such as the Balmain bug, Ibacus peronii ....
. Only wild-caught Ibacus peronii are available, although some research into aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
is ongoing. The fishery for I. peronii is focussed around New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, where it is mainly caught as bycatch
Bycatch
The term “bycatch” is usually used for fish caught unintentionally in a fishery while intending to catch other fish. It may however also indicate untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting...
of trawling
Trawling
Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net that is used for trawling is called a trawl....
for fish and prawns. There is a peak in supply in January and February, and the price is highest in areas where it is caught, because of its increased familiarity and popularity there. I. peronii is almost always available at fish market
Fish market
A fish market is a marketplace used for marketing fish products. It can be dedicated to wholesale trade between fishermen and fish merchants, or to the sale of seafood to individual consumers, or to both...
s in Sydney.
The flesh of I. peronii is sometimes reported as tasting of garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, which makes the species less desirable than the Moreton Bay bug
Moreton Bay bug
Thenus orientalis is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans.T. orientalis is known by a number of common names. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while the official Australian name is Bay lobster...
, Thenus orientalis, for cooking. Only the tail contains edible meat. Small individuals yield 30% meat, while larger animals, which have proportionally smaller tails, have lower yields.
Naming
The species Ibacus peronii was describedAlpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
by William Elford Leach
William Elford Leach
William Elford Leach FRS was an English zoologist and marine biologist.Leach was born at Hoe Gate, Plymouth, the son of a solicitor. At the age of twelve he went to school in Exeter, studying anatomy and chemistry. By this time he was already collecting marine samples from Plymouth Sound and along...
in 1815, based on material collected by François Péron
François Péron
François Auguste Péron was a French naturalist and explorer. He is credited with the first use of the term anthropology.-Explorations:...
. Péron had labelled the animal Scyllarus incisus, and had previously called it Scyllarus kingiensis. Although the type locality was given simply as "New Holland
New Holland (Australia)
New Holland is a historic name for the island continent of Australia. The name was first applied to Australia in 1644 by the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman as Nova Hollandia, naming it after the Dutch province of Holland, and remained in use for 180 years....
" (now Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), historical records demonstrate that the animal was caught off King Island, in the Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
between Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and the Australian mainland.
Common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s used in Australia for Ibacus peronii include Balmain bug, Eastern Balmain bug, butterfly lobster, flapjack, Péron's Ibacus crab, sand crayfish, sand lobster, southern shovel-nosed lobster, prawn killer and squagga, although the last two are not in current use. The named preferred by the Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
is butterfly fan lobster. Although it is most widely known as the "Balmain bug", three other species of Ibacus
Ibacus
Ibacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, including commercially important species such as the Balmain bug, Ibacus peronii ....
share that name.