Marmorkrebs Totally Explained

Everything about Marmorkrebs totally explained

Marmorkrebs or marbled crayfish are parthenogenetic crayfish that were discovered in the pet trade in Germany in the 1990s (Scholtz et al. 2003). The location of natural populations (if any) of this species is unknown. Information provided by one of the original pet traders as to where they were obtained was deemed "totally confusing and unreliable" (Vogt et al. 2004). Nevertheless, Marmorkrebs appear to be closely related to North American crayfish in the genus Procambarus that are sold as pets rather than European crayfish (Scholtz et al. 2003), suggesting that they're not native to Europe. This species currently has no formal scientific name.
Marmorkrebs are the only known decapod crustaceans to reproduce by parthenogenesis. All individuals are female. Offspring are genetically identical to the parent, indicating they reproduce by apomixis (Martin et al. 2007). Because Marmorkrebs are genetically identical, easy to care for, and reproduce at high rates, they're a potential model organism, particularly for studying development (Alwes & Scholz 2006).
Marmorkrebs have been found in the wild in Germany (Vogt et al. 2004), probably through release or escape from aquaria. Because Marmorkrebs reproduce at high rates, and given the history of invasive species that were introduced through the pet trade, there has been substantial concern that Marmorkrebs are a potential pest species in Europe. Marmorkrebs can survive fairly low temperatures, which would allow them to overwinter in Europe (Seitz et al. 2005).

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