Metanephrops challengeri

Metanephrops challengeri is a deep-water marine lobster found around New Zealand and southern Australia. Commonly called New Zealand scampi, it is harvested commercially for its tail meat.

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Metanephrops: A genus of deep-water lobsters in the family Nephropidae, distributed in the Indo-West Pacific. This species is one of the genus’s southern representatives.
New Zealand scampi fishery: The commercial fishery targeting Metanephrops challengeri in New Zealand waters. This fishery is the principal source of the species’ commercial catch.
Lobster: A common name for several groups of large marine decapod crustaceans, including clawed and spiny forms. Scampi are clawed lobsters, but belong to a distinct deep-water lineage.
Metanephrops arafurensis: A deep-water lobster species in the genus Metanephrops, found in the Arafura Sea region. It is a close relative from warmer waters, unlike the southern-range scampi.
Nephropidae: A family of decapod crustaceans that includes clawed lobsters and related deep-water forms. Its family placement distinguishes scampi from spiny lobsters.
Scampi: A seafood name commonly applied to the tails of certain lobster-like crustaceans, especially in European cuisine. The species is marketed as New Zealand scampi, though the name covers other seafood too.
Decapod morphology: The body plan and anatomical features shared by crustaceans in the order Decapoda. Its enlarged claws and segmented abdomen are features of its decapod body plan.
Metanephrops sibogae: A deep-water lobster species in the genus Metanephrops, recorded in the Indo-West Pacific. It shows the broader tropical distribution of the genus beyond scampi’s range.
Decapoda: An order of crustaceans with five pairs of walking legs, including crabs, shrimps, and lobsters. Its five pairs of thoracic legs place it among decapods.
Bottom trawling: A fishing method that pulls a net along or near the seabed to catch demersal animals. Trawling is used to capture scampi living on the seafloor.