Hybridization in Australian Freshwater Crayfish—Production of All-Male Progeny |
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Authors: | Craig S. Lawrence Noel M. Morrissy Philip E. Vercoe Ian H. Williams |
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Affiliation: | Fisheries Western Australia, Western Australian Marine Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 20, North Beach, Western Australia 6020, Australia;Animal Science Group, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6907, Australia |
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Abstract: | Abstract.— In freshwater crayfish aquaculture high densities can result from uncontrolled reproduction. Hence some farmers manually sex yabbies Cherax albidus and stock only mate crayfish in farm dams or ponds. Although male-only yabby populations produce an estimated 70% increase in gross income, hand sexing is time consuming and prone to error. A hybridization experiment using freshwater crayfish from the yabby species complex, collected from geographically isolated regions throughout Australia, revealed a hybrid between Cherax rotundus females and C. albidus males which consistently produces only male progeny. This has been confirmed in nine crosses of the same two species. The reciprocal cross of C. albidus females × C. rotundus males produces both male and female progeny. The consistent production of only male progeny by hybridization has not been recorded previously for a crustacean. |
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