Marron is a name given to two closely related species of

crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some spe ...

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. Formerly considered a single species, it is since recognised as comprising two species, the critically endangered '' Cherax tenuimanus'', and the species that is outcompeting it, '' C. cainii''. Marron are considered a luxury product and are the subject of a developing aquaculture industry in Western Australia and other Australian states. Total Australian production of farmed marron was 30

ton Ton is any of several units of measure of mass, volume or force. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. As a unit of mass, ''ton'' can mean: * the '' long ton'', which is * the ''tonne'', also called the ''metric ...

s in 1996. In Western Australia, recreational fishing for marron is tightly controlled, with a limited season, permits are required, and minimum sizes are enforced. Marron have been introduced to

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island (, ) is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Poi ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, where they have been commercially farmed, and have established feral populations in local waterways.

References

External links

Fisheries Western Australia – Marron Fact Sheet

Marron Recreational Fishing in Western Australia

Farming Marron in Western Australia

Marron Grower's Association of Western Australia

Marron101 – The Consumer Marron website from the Marron Growers Association
{{Edible crustaceans Parastacidae Freshwater crustaceans of Australia Arthropods of Western Australia Edible crustaceans Western Australian cuisine Arthropod common names