NEWS106
44
Invertebrates
Portraitof thenewCherax species fromNewGuinea.
All photos:FrankSchäfer
he natural distribution of the genus
Cherax
encompassesAustralia,with24
species,andNewGuinea.Thereareanother
17 specieson this large island,which isdivi-
dedpolitically into twohalves - since1963
T
Themaintenance of invertebrates in the freshwater aquariumhas long
sinceceased tobeamarginal activity.Moreandmoreaquaristsaredisco-
veringhow interesting it is tostudy theecologyof thesesimple - compa-
red to fishes – life forms.And the trade is responding and trying to keep
supplyingaquaristswithmorenew, interesting species.
Anewcrayfish from
NewGuinea
byRomanNeunkirchen
thewesthasbeenownedby Indonesiaand
called IrianJaya,whiletheeast ispolitically in-
dependentandcalledPapuaNewGuinea.The
distributionalpatternof the
Cherax
species in
NewGuinea is very remarkable. Specifically,
