TCSERA 2011

Last year, I live-blogged the announcement that Gerhard Scholz had been award The Crustacean Society’s Excellence in Research Award. He was not at the meeting to accept his award, but the latest issue of Journal of Crustacean Biology discusses his research contributions in more detail and allows him to reply. I am pleased to see it does not leave out Marmorkrebs.

In 2003, Gerhard reported the first parthenogenetic decapod, a cambarid crayfish (Marmorkrebs) found in the aquarium trade. It was subsequently shown that these animals originated in Florida, and molecular evidence revealed that they were in fact a form of Procambarus fallax that has established itself in several European countries as well as Madagascar, thus uncovering a harmless pet primed to become a devastating invasive species.

In his comments, Dr. Scholz offers this bon mot:

Life without crustaceans is possible, yet pointless!

Reference

McLay C, Boyko CB, Schram FR. 2012. Gerhard Scholtz Recipient of the Crustacean Society Excellence in Research Award. Journal of Crustacean Biology 32(2):341-344.