First report of Marmorkrebs in Asian ecosystems

Japan becomes the latest addition to the map of where Marmorkrebs have been found in natural ecosystems. Tadashi Kawai, the co-editor of The Biology of Freshwater Crayfish, provided me with this brief translated excerpt from the book.

The marbled crayfish was found as pet in Japanese aquarium trade. In 2006, Sapporo Salmon Museum (Sapporo City, Hokkaido) accepted the unknown crayfish from volunteer conservationists. They collected from a river from Sapporo City. As the crayfish show marble color patter on their carapace and their juvenile are all female, it identified as parthenogenetic Marmorkrebs.

The Google Map that I maintain of Marmorkrebs introductions has been updated accordingly.

Reference

Kawai T, Takahata M (eds.). 2010. Biology of Crayfish. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press. 556 pgs. ISBN: 978-4-8329-8194-2.

http://www.hup.gr.jp/details/ISBN978-4-8329-8194-2.htm

Sapporo Salmon Museum picture from here.