White-barred boxfish (Anoplocapros lenticularis)
Also known as the humpback or high-backed boxfish.
Unlike most other bony fish, boxfish have a protective covering of large, thick, joined scale plates which create an armour for protection against predators. Boxfish have the additional advantage of being poisonous to eat!
Due to this armour, boxfish can't bend their bodies to swim or hunt. Therefore when feeding they often blow a jet of water at the sand to expose the prey hidden beneath, and then suck it up like a vacuum cleaner.
The white-barred boxfish is found in southern Australia and can grow up to 300mm in length. The males are a bright orange and white in colour, while juveniles and females have additional black markings on the upper body.
Giant Crab (Pseudocarcinus gigas)
Also known as the giant deepwater crab, giant southern crab, giant Tasmanian crab and king crab.
When visitors see our preserved specimen of a huge crab in the NMDC foyer, the first question that we are asked is - "is that real?"
Well, the answer is yes!
This giant crab is an endemic species to southern Australia, found off the coast of Perth and along the south coast to Victoria and Tasmania. This crab is not commonly seen as it generally lives in waters between 100 m and 200 m deep.
A full grown crab can have a carapace width of 450 mm and can weigh up to 14 kg - this makes it the largest crab in Australia and one of the largest crabs in the world!
When looking at these crabs you can tell the difference between males and females, as the males develop larger claws - the claw is believed to be very powerful and is probably used in defence.
More species coming soon!
A series of informative fact sheets are also available to provide information about various Western Australian fish species and marine related matters - for school projects or just to expand your knowledge.
Fact sheets can be viewed or downloaded by selecting from the list below:
Fact Sheet 1 - Marine Bycatch Matters
