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from the you-say-crayfish-I-say-crawfish dept.
No one knows exactly when the clones first appeared, but humans only became aware of them in the early 2000s.
It was a German aquarium owner who first brought it to scientists' attention. In 1995, he had acquired a bag of "Texas crayfish" from an American pet trader, only to find his tank inexplicably filling up with the creatures. They were all, it turns out, clones. Sometime, somewhere, the biological rule that making baby crayfish required a mama crayfish and papa crayfish was no longer inviolate. The eggs of the hobbyist's all-female crayfish did not need to be fertilized. They simply grew into copies of their "mother"—in a process known as parthenogenesis.
Crayfish specialists were astonished. No one had seen anything like it. But the proof was before their eyes and in 2003, scientists dubbed the creatures marbled crayfish, or Marmorkreb in German.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/attack-of-the-crayfish-clones/552236/
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 06 2018, @04:06PM (15 children)
My guess is that these have a high chance of becoming an invasive species.... so, how do they taste?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by drussell on Tuesday February 06 2018, @04:17PM (6 children)
I would think that they are unlikely to become more invasive, in the traditional sense, than other crayfish in general in a given area, however it will likely wipe out the genetic diversity in any area that gets taken over.
Quite distressing.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Tuesday February 06 2018, @04:28PM (5 children)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by drussell on Tuesday February 06 2018, @05:10PM (1 child)
Indeed! Of course! It's just a question of whether the genetically identical ones have already decimated the existing diverse population in a given area when they finally do eventually get wiped out.
I suppose that, on the other hand, it could be actually end up being a good thing in areas where crayfish in general have become invasive. The eventual die-off could end up reducing the total population to a more equitably balanced equilibrium in that area's ecosystem.
Oh, nature... Will you ever cease to amaze?! :)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Tuesday February 06 2018, @07:10PM
There's no reason to expect an eventual die off in an aquarium, until owner gets tired of it, or dies.
But a die off so complete as to kill off all the clones is just as likely to kill the entire population of females (and probably males).
In short, only a narrowly avoided near extinction event would be better handled with genetic diversity. The normal seasonal events that crayfish suffer would probably be handled just fine by clones.
Besides, we learned recently [soylentnews.org] that it is possible that Clones don't necessarily have ZERO diversity.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by canopic jug on Tuesday February 06 2018, @06:33PM
There is that higher reproduction rate though. I think such a problem would resolve itself via disease. That's probably why we see less such cloning in the natural world in the first place. It'll probably turn out that crayfish and related species have been able to switch to a "clone" mode for some time and even receive some evolutionary advantage when they do so, but the process doesn't happen all the time because of die offs of such populations when disease takes root.
There are species with parthenogensis [bbc.com]. However, if a species can switch back and forth it can have a temporary advantage in a changing environment. I don't know if it was a hypothetical case or not but say in a flood plain where most pools dry up but there is livable water otherwise enough of the year to reproduce, it would be an advantage. Clones suited to a spot would spread like wildfire and then later as disease or some other factor culls the population, variation through sexual reproduction could occur.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by edIII on Tuesday February 06 2018, @07:43PM (1 child)
It's a disaster for genetic diversity though, before that disease wipes them out. Interesting to watch, but I'm concerned since some of the culinary advice indicates it's not as good as the crayfish it replaced. If they taste good, we can greatly help with the overpopulation via hunting, but if they taste bad......
If it happened spontaneously though, perhaps we should just let it play out instead of interfering with it.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 07 2018, @01:14PM
If they taste bad to normal humans, we just need to develop a line of self-cloning humans genetically engineered to find them tasty.
(Score: 3, Informative) by PinkyGigglebrain on Tuesday February 06 2018, @04:34PM (7 children)
I believe Crayfish already are considered an invasive species in some areas.
And the last time I ate some they tasted a bit like lobster, though not quite as sweet. You can already get packages of crayfish tails in some super markets if your curious, just use a recipe that calls for lobster meat, like a lobster sandwich, and sub the crayfish.
I have mixed feelings about this adaptation. On the one hand this kind of reproduction is great for aquaculture if the species is tasty, and if people are made aware of their abundance and flavor. But on the other it will be crap for an invaded ecosystems. Crayfish are hardy, can travel travel overland to find new habitats and can/will eat just about anything. And now this species will be able to quickly crowd out the local species in only a few generations.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 06 2018, @05:04PM
We may need to take some lessons from Klingon history and go on a Great Crayfish Hunt.
The real trouble with tribbles is that they don't go well with any BBQ rubs or sauces. I am confident that our advanced state of BBQ technology will enable us to be successful.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 06 2018, @05:27PM (3 children)
cook em like a cajun and they are delicious.
(Score: 5, Funny) by aristarchus on Tuesday February 06 2018, @06:38PM (2 children)
Cloning is one thing, but the last thing we need in a situation like this is cooking advice from cannibals!! (How do you cook cajuns, anyway? Just curious.)
(Score: 4, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday February 06 2018, @08:47PM (1 child)
You start with your holy trinity--that's mirepoix, but it's onions, bell pepper, and celery--and get it nice and sautee'd up on medium heat, then add your meat...you know where this is going.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Funny) by aristarchus on Tuesday February 06 2018, @09:08PM
And here I thought you just boiled 'em up, rip off the heads and suck out the juice!
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday February 06 2018, @05:33PM (1 child)
Sing it with me: "Yes, we have no Bananas!"
(Inspired by the Central American banana blight of the early 1920s.)
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by drussell on Thursday February 08 2018, @09:15PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCpmtI6oDLM [youtube.com]