TEMPLE, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife is warning Texans about the possibility of an invasive species: the Marbled Crayfish.
On Wednesday, TPW took to social media and warned folks who may have these critters in their aquariums not to dump them into the wild because of their ability to reproduce.
The organization said these crayfish are all-female and can reproduce without males by cloning; the "release of a single individual could start an entire invasive population."
According to the State of Michigan, where there's a ban on marbled crayfish, a single crayfish has "the ability to lay up to 700 unfertilized eggs that develop into genetically identical offspring."
Because of this, marbled crayfish are banned all over the world, including in five U.S. states (Michigan, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri and Tennessee), according to the Houston Chronicle.
A medium-sized crayfish ranges between 4-to-5 inches long with generally an olive to dark brown color, but can be tan to reddish to blue, Michigan's invasive species website described.
They are not naturally found in Texas' ecosystem, but are widely available in the aquarium trade, "creating a high risk of introduction and spread through the release of unwanted pets," the website continued.
"Never release aquarium life and learn before you buy!," TPW said.