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BLUE Cloning Crayfish (Marbled Cray)

16K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Beaker 
#1 ·
So a friend of mine in the area got a brown cloning cray a while back. The first batch of babies were, of course, brown...then the second batch was half brown and half BLUE. The third is all blue, along with the fourth. Is this some weird color variation (don't understand how considering they clone themselves) or what? She kept one from the third and she's currently berried up. We'll see what happens.

Note: Her water has not changed in alkalinity (what some are saying cause it) and the diet has always been the same. So it can't be that.

Well, I bought one (for REALLY cheap :D) from her and have her set up in a ten all to herself (well, and some snails and live plants). This one is from the fourth batch of the original mom and is all blue. Just got her home today and she's in her tank (pictures soon...she's really small and doesn't want to come out of hiding right now). I'll let everyone know when she's big enough to berry up and hopefully this blue thing will prove true.
 
#2 ·
Ok, this is what she told me. She says that the marble cray can breed with males in the same genus (or species?). The female she originally had was housed with a blue 'lobster' at the pet store, so she thinks that his genes are just now showing up.

Is this possible? If so, that's pretty darn interesting. Can you imagine all the different colored cloning cray?!?!
 
#13 ·
She says that the marble cray can breed with males in the same genus (or species?).
The female she originally had was housed with a blue 'lobster' at the pet store, so she thinks that his genes are just now showing up.
That's pretty darn interesting. Can you imagine all the different colored cloning cray?!?!
- There are NO male cloning crayfish, they don't mate, with anything.
- Crayfish don't mate with lobsters.
- Cloning crayfish change color depending on their diet.

That is all :)
 
#3 ·
Ok, so here are some pics!


Tearing up my new plants :mad: Those will be removed in the morning


*video of her tearing up my sword plant*Blue Marbled Crayfish :: 1-11-11021.mp4 video by KnECritters - Photobucket

And her tank...removing at least the moss and sword plant in the morning, probably leaving the floating plants since I doubt she'll get to those. Also may remove the snails. Don't want them to be eaten by her...
 
#5 ·
Thanks :D We'll see if it's even possible for them to hybridize. lol
 
#6 ·
Marbled crayfish (a.k.a. Marmorkrebs) have a lot of individual differences due to variation in how they develop (Vogt G, Huber M, Thiemann M, van den Boogaart G, Schmitz OJ, Schubart CD. 2008. Production of different phenotypes from the same genotype in the same environment by developmental variation. The Journal of Experimental Biology 211(4): 510-523. Production of different phenotypes from the same genotype in the same environment by developmental variation -- Vogt et al. 211 (4): 510 -- Journal of Experimental Biology). That's the most likely cause of the colour differences.

The second most likely cause is some minor environmental difference that isn't noticeable. Just because animals are in the same tank doesn't mean that they're necessarily picking up the same food. Crayfish tend to set up dominance hierarchies, and the dominant individual may be getting more and better food.

The least likely explanation for the colour differences is hybridization. There's no scientific evidence that marbled crayfish hybridize with other crayfish species. That's not to say it's impossible, because some crayfish do hybridize (for example, Orconectes; Perry WL, Feder JL, Lodge DM. 2001. Implications of hybridization between introduced and resident Orconectes crayfishes. Conservation Biology 15: 1656-1666. Implications of Hybridization between Introduced and Resident Orconectes Crayfishes - Perry - 2002 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library).

 
#8 ·
Well, it must have been the food/water, she's turning back brown which I don't mind. Thanks for the interesting read on that!
eileen, I've removed the plants except for some floating ones she can't get to. :)
 
#10 ·
lol k, and just remember, she's no longer blue! She is now brown again. And when you get one (I'd suggest just one...seriously) they can have anywhere between 100 to 400 babies every 3 months...that's a LOT of crays!!!
 
#12 ·
Yeah, I may end up with three adults here soon. The woman I got them from is getting rid of them and she said I could just take them. The babies that are born will mainly be used as feeders for my shiners and other crays, and some day soon they will be fed to a tegu :D

I love love love these crays though. I got two at the store near me that were feeder crays. Still trying to ID them, but I know for sure that one is male and the other female. Watched the female dig herself a nice little 'den' under a rock. Was really neat. I believe she's about to shed too.
 
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