Meanings
plural Moreton Bay bugs
- AustraliaThe species Thenus orientalis of the slipper lobster family; a common seafood item.
We settled on cumin-spiced lamb buns, Moreton Bay bug crystal dumplings and the char siu Ōra King salmon fillet.
2021 February 28, The Road Ahead, Brisbane, page 37, column 1Synonyms: crayfish
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe species Thenus orientalis of the slipper lobster family; a common seafood item.
Origin
Named after Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia (by way of distinguishing it from the distantly-related Balmain bug (Ibacus peronii), but also found in many parts of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese 琵琶蝦 /琵琶虾
- 琵琶蝦 /琵琶虾 (pei⁴ paa⁴ haa¹)Thenus orientalis
Chinese Mandarin 琵琶蝦 /琵琶虾, 東方扁蝦 /东方扁虾
- 琵琶蝦 /琵琶虾 (pípáxiā)Thenus orientalis
- 東方扁蝦 /东方扁虾 (dōngfāng biǎn xiā)Thenus orientalis
Indonesian udang kipas
- udang kipasThenus orientalis
Malay udang lubuk, udang ketak
- udang lubukThenus orientalis
- udang ketakThenus orientalis
Thai กั้งกระดาน, กุ้งกระดาน
- กั้งกระดานThenus orientalis
- กุ้งกระดาน (kungkradan, /kûŋ kràʔ daːn/)Thenus orientalis
Vietnamese tôm mũ ni, tôm hùm mũ ni
- tôm mũ niThenus orientalis
- tôm hùm mũ niThenus orientalis
- tôm vỗ dẹp trắngThenus orientalis
Cite this entry
Moreton Bay bug. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moreton%20Bay%20bug
“Moreton Bay bug.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moreton%20Bay%20bug. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Moreton Bay bug,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moreton%20Bay%20bug.
Source: Moreton Bay bug on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.