I've caught these in FL, the self cloning ones. I know because I have had them breed in isolation. Think I have one now. Just wanted to say, however two died. One was losing balance and couldn't stay upright, the other found floating two days later. Albeit these are possibly the Marbled Crayfish, I still wonder what happened. Any thoughts?
Marbled Crayfish Experience
- Thread starter Lonerock
- Start date
Are you sure the female wasn't berried when you caught her? or had just mated before being caught? Are you identifying them based solely on the fact it appears they might have possibly reproduced parthenogenetically?
Yes, I'm sure, because I feel since I found them as fry(?), or juveniles, thereby not giving them any chance to interact, that it was impossible for them to give birth. Nonetheless, I will see with this last one, if it survives. It is about the size of half my pinky, never had a chance to interact with very other crays. But any info you can give me as to why you think the best two died? My thoughts are they died due to a water change.
Hi!
I'm Zen Faulkes, biologist who curates the Marbled Crayfish research site. (Not the commercial site. I don't sell crayfish.)
I am here to ask -- no, beg on bended knee that anyone who suspects they might have found marbled crayfish in the wild, please contact me.
There has never been a confirmed case of Marmorkrebs found in natural waters in North America. (There have been suspected cases, but never 100% sure.) Finding even one would be an important landmark for management of this potentially problematic crayfish. My colleagues would also want to do genetic tests to see how a North American animal compares with populations overseas.
Please help science! My name is distinct enough that you should be able to find me with a Google search easily.
I'm Zen Faulkes, biologist who curates the Marbled Crayfish research site. (Not the commercial site. I don't sell crayfish.)
I am here to ask -- no, beg on bended knee that anyone who suspects they might have found marbled crayfish in the wild, please contact me.
There has never been a confirmed case of Marmorkrebs found in natural waters in North America. (There have been suspected cases, but never 100% sure.) Finding even one would be an important landmark for management of this potentially problematic crayfish. My colleagues would also want to do genetic tests to see how a North American animal compares with populations overseas.
Please help science! My name is distinct enough that you should be able to find me with a Google search easily.
This is why I had to double check!
Lonerock, do you have any pictures or anything of the animals in question?
Lonerock, do you have any pictures or anything of the animals in question?
Unfortunately, pictures are usually not helpful. The native Floridian slough crayfish (Procambarus fallax) and the marbled crayfish (P. virginalis or P. fallax f. virginalis) can't be told apart by their appearance. The only sure way to make sure you have one rather than the other is a DNA test.
Pictures might be able to help if the identification is way off, though that seems unlikely. (But I have seen people mistake a Florida crayfish for a Australian crayfish, just because both are blue.)
I have one crayfish I'm raising but IU must give it time to mature, depending it's still alive. I leave them alone when they're fry. It shouldn't be long, and if it's still alive, I will send pics.
Now, this whole subject confounds me. I say this because 1), I thought only marbled crayfish can reproduce asexually, and 2), I have witnessed (for years) a dozen of these crayfish, which I have caught in a small drainage pond which I retrieved mosquito minnows from since I used to have a turtle pond, and now am looking into again, reproduce all alone again and again. I used to raise the fry and released them in streams and ponds. Can't blame me for this. Thought I was helping wild populations.
So, I will keep in touch. I can VB tell you though, that from pics I have seen of marbled crayfish it appears to me to be quite similar. As a side note, too, the pond I found these in appears to have been a property owner's personal exotic fish dumping ground.
It's alive and well, about the size of my pinky now, still too early to take a picture of. But will soon. Will be buying s small garden pond in a week or two, then send a pic. I must say, however, that thrust of this message was the mortality of two crayfish I'd had, so any advice as to why would be helpful in preserving this one's as well.
