Embedded Files
Marmorkrebs are cloning crayfish
Marmorkrebs are cloning crayfish
“Marmorkrebs” is an informal name given to marbled crayfish that were discovered by hobbyists in Germany in the late 1990s. “Marmorkrebs” roughly translates from German as “marbled crab.” The scientific name for Marmorkrebs is Procambarus virginalis (previously Procambarus fallax f. virginalis). They are an asexual relative of slough crayfish (Procambarus fallax) that live across Florida and southern Georgia in the United States. The only known cases of Marmorkrebs in the wild are where they have been introduced by humans.
Marmorkrebs are parthenogenetic: they are all females, and reproduce without sex. This is the only decapod crustacean found that reproduces only this way, giving it incredible potential as a model organism for research. Some of the advantages of Marmorkrebs are that they are genetically identical, reproduce at high rates, and are easy to care for.
Marmorkrebs are invasive
Marmorkrebs are invasive
Marmorkrebs have been introduced and established populations in many countries. They can damage agriculture and threaten native species. Marmorkrebs should not be used for bait, kept in outdoor tanks or ponds (Marmorkrebs can migrate over land), or placed in any other situation where they could be released into natural ecosystems.
The European Union banned Marmorkrebs (i.e., possession, trade, transport, production, and release) and some other crayfish species in 2016. The United Kingdom kept this prohibition after its departure from the European Union in 2020.
Japan banned breeding and selling Marmorkrebs (and other crayfish species) in 2020.
In North America, Marmorkrebs are prohibited in:
Georgia, USA (since 2022)
Idaho, USA (since 2010)
Missouri, USA (since 2011)
Tennessee, USA (since 2015)
Michigan, USA (since 2020)
Ohio, USA (since 2020)
Saskatchewan, Canada (since 2020)
Ontario, Canada (since 2022)
Minnesota, USA (since 2024)
In 2022, one person in the US plead guilty to selling Marmorkrebs.
Recent research papers
Recent research papers
More papers available in “Publications” tab at top of page.
Forthcoming
Forthcoming
🔓 Kouba A, Das K, Guo W, Marková K, Veselý L, Oficialdegui FJ, Lipták B, Kubec J, Koubová A, Bláha M, Niksirat H, Patoka J, Weiperth A, Haubrock PJ, Buřič M. 2026. Life history responses of four invasive crayfish species under prolonged suboptimal temperatures. Integrative and Comparative Biology 66: in press. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icag014
Mengal K, Kor G, Kozak P, Niksirat H. Higher levels of limb loss and temperature accelerate limb regeneration in marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis). Acta Zoologica: In press. https://doi.org/10.1111/azo.70015
2026 research papers
2026 research papers
Diaz-Larrosa JJ, Carneiro V, Hanna K, Raddatz G, Lyko F. 2026. Dnmt1 mediates epigenetic restriction of invasive traits in clonal crayfish. Nature Communications 17: 2954. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71049-z
Mengal K, Kor G, Siino V, Levander F, Niksirat H. 2026. Effects of acute cold and heat shocks on the protein profile of crayfish hemolymph: Implications for crustacean adaptation to thermal stress. Aquaculture Reports 46: 103265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2025.103265
Mengal K, Siino V, Buřič M, Levander F, Niksirat H. 2026. Protein signatures of aging in the hemolymph of marbled crayfish: Insights into crustacean immune aging. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D: Genomics and Proteomics 59: 101806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbd.2026.101806
🆕🔓 Pipinić K; Marn N; Hudina S. 2026. Effects of multiple stressors on the crayfish–pathogen dynamics in freshwater ecosystems – A PhD research plan. In: Petrović Popović PP, Popović M (eds.), Book of Abstracts of 10th Faculty of Science PhD Student Symposium. University of Zagreb Faculty of Science: Zagreb. https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/publikacija/prilog-skup/947642 (Direct link to PDF of conference abstract booklet: https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/publikacija/knjiga/940582)
🆕🔓 Poirier LA, Pratt CJ, Hope E, Kingsbury S, McAlpine DF, LeBlanc F, Burbidge C. 2026. First record of the nonindigenous crayfish, Procambarus virginalis Lyko, 2017, in Nova Scotia, Canada. BioInvasions Records 15(2): 393-402. https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2026.15.2.14
🆕🔓 Slusar M, Muzhenko A, Kovalchuk S, Fedorovych Ye, Ishchuk O, Mamchenko V, Svitelskyi M. 2026. Comparative characteristics of physicochemical parameters of meat and biochemical composition of hemolymph in three species of crayfishes. Studia Biologica 20(2): 31-46. https://doi.org/10.30970/sbi.2002.887
This site is maintained by Zen Faulkes and was last updated 15 June 2026.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse