Thenus orientalis

Thenus orientalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Family:	Scyllaridae
Subfamily:	Theninae Holthuis, 1985
Genus:	Thenus Leach, 1815
Species:	T. orientalis
Binomial name
Thenus orientalis (Lund, 1793) [1]

Thenus orientalis is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Moreton Bay bug flesh prior to cooking

T. orientalis is known by a number of common names. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while the official Australian name is Bay lobster.^[2][3] In Australia, it is more widely known as the Moreton Bay bug after Moreton Bay, a location in Queensland.^[3] In Singapore, both the flathead lobster and true crayfish are confusingly called crayfish. They are popularly used in many Singaporean dishes.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

T. orientalis has a strongly depressed body, and grows to a maximum body length of 25 centimetres (9.8 in), or a carapace length of 8 cm (3.1 in).^[2]

Thenus orientalis has an Indo-West Pacific distribution, ranging from the east coast of Africa (southern Red Sea to Natal) to China, southern Japan, the Philippines and along the northern coast of Australia from Western Australia to Queensland.^[2] They are also caught on a small scale off the shores of Malaysia and Singapore.^[2]

References

1. ^ Lund, N. T. (1793). "Slægten Scyllarus. Iagttagelser til Insekternes Historie. I.". Skr. Naturh.-Selsk. Kiobenhavn 2 (2): 17–22. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Lipke B. Holthuis (1991). "Thenus orientalis". Marine Lobsters of the World. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Food and Agriculture Organization. pp. 227–228. ISBN 92-5-103027-8. http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/bis/lobsters.php?menuentry=soorten&id=205. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Species Thenus orientalis (Lund, 1793)". Australian Faunal Directory. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. June 3, 2010. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/Thenus_orientalis. Retrieved October 28, 2010. 
4. ^ "Straits Cafe @ Rendezvous Hotel – International Buffet". http://sparklette.net/food/rendezvous-hotel-buffet/. 
5. ^ "Sakura International Buffet". http://christinelua328.blogspot.com/2009/04/sakura-international-buffet.html. 
6. ^ "Singapore-Malaysia Trip: East Coast Seafood Centre". http://chowtimes.com/2006/10/04/singapore-malaysia-trip-east-coast-seafood-centre/. 
7. ^ "Sweet Chilli Crayfish (龙马精神)". http://www.mywoklife.com/2010/02/sweet-chilli-crayfish.html. 
8. ^ "What did you eat during the weekend/Holiday?". http://www.makansutra.com/forums/singapore/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16769&start=30.