Hidden in one of Australia's most developed and fastest growing areas lives one of the world's smallest freshwater crayfish species. The new species, which was discovered after 8 years of research in the swamps and creeks of coastal New South Wales, Australia, belongs to the genus Gramastacus.

 

Being a small crayfish species it has remained undescribed and undiscovered in one of the fastest developing regions of Australia. Only one other species of Gramastacus crayfish is known and it occurs some 900 km away in the Grampians region of Victoria.

 

This new species is found in lowland ephemeral habitats surrounding coastal lakes and lagoons from Wamberal Lagoon, north along the coastal strip to Wallis Lake. Being dependent on regular natural flooding and drying cycles, only lowland, swampy areas are suitable for this tiny crayfish.

 

Each crayfish digs a small rounded cross-section burrow up to one meter deep into the water table to survive the drying cycle. Some areas are riddled with these small burrows as they are a very prolific species and can occur in very high numbers in small habitat areas.