About Cherax destructor Clark, 1936
The common yabby, with the scientific name Cherax destructor Clark, 1836, is an Australian freshwater crustacean belonging to the Parastacidae family. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this crayfish as a vulnerable species, even though wild common yabby populations remain strong and have expanded into new habitats created by reservoirs and farm dams. Other common names for Cherax destructor include blue yabby and cyan yabby. The general common name "yabby" is also used for many other Australian Cherax crustacean species, as well as for marine ghost shrimp in the infraorder Thalassinidea. Occasional individuals can reach up to 30 cm (12 in) in length, but most common yabbies are between 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long. Their coloration is highly variable and depends on water clarity and habitat: in clear waters, yabbies may be black, blue-black, or dark brown, while in turbid waters they tend to be light brown, green-brown, or beige. Yabbies selectively bred to have a vibrant blue color are now popular in the Australian aquarium trade. During the wet season, Australian yabbies can travel kilometers across land to find new bodies of water to inhabit. The term "yabby" originates from the word for freshwater crayfish in multiple Aboriginal Australian languages once spoken in what is now Victoria, including the Wemba Wemba and Woiwurrung–Taungurung languages. Though less commonly eaten than prawns and other crustaceans, yabbies are consumed in Australia in a similar way to how crayfish are eaten in other countries. Yabbies are most often boiled and eaten plain, or served with condiments. They are also occasionally offered at restaurants, where they may be prepared in dishes like salads, ravioli, and pasta. Before cooking, it is recommended to "purge" yabbies in clean water to clear their guts and remove any muddy flavor, producing sweeter-tasting meat. In New South Wales, live yabbies are sold at some fish markets, including the Sydney Fish Market. In Victoria, cooked whole yabbies ready to eat can be bought at Queen Victoria Market.
