While watching reruns of "Nature's strangest mystery solved" there was a very interesting segment about a crayfish that was purchased by a German Aquarium enthusiast. After a few weeks this female crayfish gave birth Without a male to all female offsprings, some of these we're giving away to other aquarium enthusiast and Pet Shops. In time these female offspring had offspring of Their Own without a male. It winds up scientist study this phenomena and finds the original female was cloning herself and her offspring also was cloning themselves, so that all the crayfish where replicas of the original female crayfish. This happened about 25 years ago because of their rapid growth they can be found in streams and Rivers not only in Germany but other countries in Europe and Africa. This excerpts from the internet can explain it much better than I. Most crayfish reproduce by having sex. But an all-female species of mutant crayfish has managed to evolve the ability to clone itself, without the need for a male. Known as marmokrebs, or marbled crayfish, the species' remarkable cloning ability has led it to multiply out of control. Now scientists are warning the female crustaceans are beginning to take over Europe and parts of Africa because they are reproducing so quickly. While it may sound like the plot of the horror movie, they say there may be some benefits to the strange crayfish invasion; the crayfish's unusual evolution could also provide a strategy to tackle cancer as it clones itself in a similar way. Researchers believe these mutant creatures began evolving by accident almost 25 years ago, after a German aquarium hobbyist bought a crayfish that he was told was a 'Texas crayfish'. But he was surprised when his marbled crayfish produced hundreds of eggs at a time and grew large. He gave away the crayfish, and they eventually ended up being sold in pet shops in Germany. But owners soon began noticing that their Marmokrebs were reproducing without the need to mate, and all offspring were female, fertile and clones of their mother.
Are they not edible, like other crayfish? Seems like crayfish farms would also like these mutants. May be popular only in the Southern U.S.
I believe they are edible. I remember reading somewhere's this may solve the food shortage of the world.
Suddenly people across the globe wake up talking like Justin Wilson. People from India to Africa to South America are exclaiming "Whoo..EEE!! Dat dere's some good eatin', I tell ya wut!!" as they suck the exoskeletons dry of their wondrous nectar. Regarding the supposed original critter making it's way into pet shops...no one mentioned the likely proliferation being caused by a premature burial-by-toilet. Or perhaps someone's boring pet was let loose in a creek in a local version of "Free Greta!!!!"