Marbled Crayfish clones itself? New species? Is this ad for real?

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Mystus Redtail

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jun 8, 2007
2,154
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Fishing in Wisconsin
I was cruising CL as always and came across this add for marbled crayfish. FIRST OFF, THIS IS NOT MY LISTING, WEBSITE, OR COMPANY. I DO NOT ENDORSE THIS COMPANY OR RECOMMEND ANYONE TO BUY ANYTHING FROM THE WEBSITE. That being said... The ad claims that these crayfish have no natural origin, they just showed up in aquariums in the 1990's and they clone themselves with no male needing to be present.

Is any of this stuff for real? It sounds like some big sales pitch to me. heres the ad and website for reference:

http://appleton.craigslist.org/pet/776084455.html

http://www.marbledcrayfish.com

marmorkrebsAD.jpg


Again, I'm not recommending anyone buy these or anything I'm just bringing the topic forward for discussion.
 
I doubt it, i think if they could do it then other members of the procambarus genus could as well they might be one of those animals which can store the sperm of males like guppys. A zoo near us had a komodo dragon on its own for 3 years and then suddenly it layed fertile eggs.
 
i was about to post the same add. Good thing I looked first. If they were real it would be nice to use the as feeders. I googled them and there are some articles that look official so i dont know what to think. Its funny that they say they also sell gourmet crayfish food, because every scavenger likes to have a fancy dinner every now and then.
 
It's 100% real. I'm getting some from a friend soon. DNA testing has proven them to be most closely related to Procambarus alleni, and is quite possibly a hybrid cray of that and another species. There are other parthenogenic animals, such as several populations of Triops longicaudus, a couple species of racerunners (lizards), and there has even been a report of a parthenogenic komodo dragon. One of the first discovered parthenogenic vertibrates is the Amazon molly. It's from Mexico, but is named the Amazon molly after an all-female Amazonian tribe. Their eggs are activated by the sperm of male mollies of another species.

For more on these amazing crays, check out this: http://marmorkrebs.org
 
They are for real!

I have a big mama marble in my planted tank. Also dozens of babies :)

I got mine when it was tiny, like a 1/2" at most. It was one of 3 I bought off Aquabid and was the only one to make it. She started to berry up when she reached 2" and kept on going!
 
Yes boys and girls, that is my own "ad" found on Craigslist. In the sense that I am looking to rehome some of my Marbled Crays, yes it is an "Ad". I find there is a lot of misinformation out there about the Marbled Cray so I like to bring some attention to it with factual info.

No, it does not "store sperm" as some would like to believe. There are no males in this species, so that theory is kaput. These are not guppies, my friends, these are Marmorkrebs. They are NOT P Alleni - they are their own species.

And yes, I do make a special food for them, having studies their dietary habits - and even add a little Haematococcus pluvialis for color and health.

I have noticed some pet stores (and individuals online) selling other species as Marbled Cray (Marmorkrebs). These resemble the Marbled Cray (as do many cray species), but they will end up eating aquarium fish and will NOT reproduce by themselves. True Marbled Crayfish will sometimes eat a dead fish, but will never attack a live one, and prefer a plant based diet.

Genetic research labs are very interested in the Marbled Cray because of its unique DNA. Thinking in terms of stem cell reserach, and other areas, this animal has a lot to offer the world.

But for aquarium keepers, it s cool to watch, and proves a source of animals to use as Feeders. Folks who like to do fishing are now raising colonies of Marbled Crayfish as bait.

And while the GOOGLE of Marbled Cray or Marmorkrebs will always list the UK-Based panic articles, most scientists in the USA will poo-poo the idea that this species will "take over" anywhere in the wild. But then again, folks in the UK do like to go a bit overboard with anything sensational, especially if it can cause folks to get upset. Do your research if you are really concerned about it, and talk to some USA based biologists who are working with this animal.

I am posting new videos of the Marbled Crayfish - some on YouTube - showing egg development in different stages, including live babies hanging on to mama after birth.

Check out www.MarbledCrayfish.com (aka www.MarbledCray.com) to see updated info and pics.


 
I would be a little concerned about using them as bait. Certainly, if it only takes one to reproduce. The use of crayfish as bait has been severely restricted in my state because even "native" crayfish are taking over lakes where they had not been found before. If I'm not mistaken, the transport of live crayfish for fishing purposes is strictly forbidden in my state. That being said, I am not trying to prevent sales, just bringing to light some of the concerns that F&W have around here, and to encourage people to investigate their local and state laws before using a non-native species for fishing bait.
 
Mystus Redtail;2043039;2043039 said:
I would be a little concerned about using them as bait. Certainly, if it only takes one to reproduce. The use of crayfish as bait has been severely restricted in my state because even "native" crayfish are taking over lakes where they had not been found before. If I'm not mistaken, the transport of live crayfish for fishing purposes is strictly forbidden in my state. That being said, I am not trying to prevent sales, just bringing to light some of the concerns that F&W have around here, and to encourage people to investigate their local and state laws before using a non-native species for fishing bait.
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For one thing, I would be very surprised if this species is on ANY state list. And, all evidence seems to indicate this species could not live through the winter in any state, not even Texas - much less Wisconsin. By all means, investigate your own state lists for prohibiting species of any kind, I am all for it. But there is no need to add paranoia to a species already villified by British press - there is a lot of good that this animal could provide to the world, in the bigger picture.
 
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