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Marbled crayfish

Procambarus virginalis

Also known as Marmorkrebs, Self-cloning crayfish

FreshwaterCrayfish

Marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis)
Zfaulkes at English Wikipedia · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–77°F
18–25°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
3.9 in
10 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Easy
Rarity
Common
Family
Cambaridae
Origin
Pet-trade lineage from North American slough crayfish, Germany 1990s

Overview

The marbled crayfish is a self-cloning crayfish for a tank of its own. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

Every marbled crayfish on earth descends from one animal, and they are all near-identical clones of each other. That makes them a real worry in the wild, since a single escaped individual can found a whole population. They can also carry crayfish plague, a disease that wipes out native crayfish without harming the carrier.

Caring for the marbled crayfish

Check your local laws before buying a marbled crayfish. It is invasive and illegal to keep in many places, including the EU, the UK, Japan, and several US states and Canadian provinces. Never release it or flush it.

Keep one alone in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more. A single crayfish clones itself and will quickly fill a tank with offspring. Build a tank that suits a temperate burrowing crayfish, with a soft sandy or fine gravel bottom and plenty of caves and pipes to claim. Fit a tight, weighted lid, since it climbs out.

Keep the water at 64 to 77°F (18 to 25°C) with a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. Hard, neutral to slightly alkaline water keeps the shell in good shape during molts. Feed sinking pellets, blanched vegetables and the occasional protein, like a bit of fish or shrimp.

The marbled crayfish is an aggressive, solitary bottom dweller that holds a territory and hunts. It eats snails, dwarf shrimp, slow fish and most plants you put in with it. Keep it alone, or only with fast fish that stay up near the surface.

Every marbled crayfish is female and reproduces by cloning itself without a mate. Breeding is as easy as keeping one alive.

Good to know

The marbled crayfish, Procambarus virginalis, is a crayfish in the family Cambaridae. A healthy adult usually lives a few years. The whole lineage traces back to aquarium stock, so any animal in the trade is tank bred, not wild caught.

In the wild

The marbled crayfish has no wild native range. It appeared in the German pet trade in the 1990s as a self-cloning lineage of North American slough crayfish. It has since spread into the wild only where people have released it.

Common questions

What size tank does a marbled crayfish need?

A marbled crayfish needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a marbled crayfish need?

A marbled crayfish is comfortable at 64–77°F (18–25°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

What does a marbled crayfish eat?

A marbled crayfish eats sinking pellets, blanched vegetables and the occasional protein, like a bit of fish or shrimp. It also hunts snails, dwarf shrimp and slow fish, and it eats most plants.

How big does a marbled crayfish get?

An adult marbled crayfish reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).

How can you tell a male marbled crayfish from a female?

Every marbled crayfish is female, so there are no males to tell apart. It reproduces by cloning itself without a mate.

How does a marbled crayfish breed?

A marbled crayfish reproduces by cloning itself, with no mate needed. Breeding is as easy as keeping one alive, and a single animal will quickly fill a tank with offspring.

Related species