Crustacea
Apart from the ubiquitous crayfish, shrimps in the Low Salinity layer (LSL) and hermit crabs, macro crustacea are not obvious in much of Fiordland. The best time to see them is at night when the long armed masking crab Leptomithrax longimanus is up and about. Night time is also best to see the common Cancer novaezelandiae which feeds in bivalve molluscs..
Jasus edwardsi can still be found in good numbers in parts of Fiordland. When the low salinity layer thins sufficiently they prey on mussels in the mussel band. (64.59K)
The rugged coast
of Fiordland supports a lucrative rock lobster fishery.
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Last modified on Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Many
mollusc shells in Fiordland host hermit crabs. Much work still needs to be done
on New Zealand hermit crab taxonomy.