Scientific Name: Thenus orientalis

A marine crustacean, Moreton Bay Bugs have a reddish-brown shell, wide flat head with eyes either side of the shell, short tail and 5 pairs of small legs. They live in muddy & sandy bottoms as deep as 60m, and are primarily caught as bycatch of prawn and scallop fisheries on the East and West Coasts of Australia. They’re usually active after dark as they tend to bury themselves during the day.

Also known as baylobster, flathead lobster or bugs, an average size bug is 250g. The edible flesh is found in the tail, and larger bugs will have less flesh due to the size of their head. They are sweet and rich in flavour - stronger than rock lobster - their flesh isn’t very oily and is quite firm and dry. To get to the meat, take the head off the bug, turn the tail over and cut down either side of the tail with scissors to peel the shell back and remove the meat. If you purchase a cooked bug, don’t recook it as it will dry out the meat and make it rubbery. If buying raw, they can be steamed, poached, fried or grilled. The firm flesh makes them a brilliant addition to soups, curries and bakes. They also work well cold as an addition to your seafood platter - we offer them as an option for our Jumbo Seafood Platters! Best served with citrus, herbs and greens, why not pop-in and grab some in the off-season for crays?