By Parker McKenzie
A mysterious crustacean that was filmed walking down a suburban Berwick street has been identified, putting an end to intense online speculation.
Brooklyn Lee spotted the crustacean on Mansfield Street on 3 November.
“At first I thought it was an injured bird from the corner of my eye, then I looked at it and freaked out thinking it was a huge spider,” she said.
“It took me a moment to register that it was actually a lobster.”
The internet was abuzz with speculation on what the creature could be and where it came from.
“I’m assuming either it’s an escaped pet, fallen off a seafood truck, although claws aren’t tied together so doubtful, or a magic lobster,” Devon Hughes said.
“Probably from the water basin near Blackburn lake Primary School. Fresh water yabby and may be a protected species,” Heather Windebank said.
Despite members of the community believing it could be a giant land yabby or a freshwater crayfish, Brooklyn is sure of what she saw and videoed.
“I definitely think it’s a lobster,” she said.
“Doesn’t look like a land yabby but who knows?”
Now Melbourne University biology researcher Professor Andrew Pask has identified the creature as an Australian native species.
“That’s a yabbie, they are all over Melbourne but not often walking down the street,” he said.
“And that’s a biggun too!”
Yabbies can reach up to 30cm in size but are more commonly in the 12cm to 20cm range.
Thanks to Professor Pask a bizarre Berwick mystery has been solved.
