that smooth marron and hairy marron are able to interbreed and that interbreeding can produce reproductively viable hybrids. Debate as to whether the hairy marron and the smooth marron are the same or different species is currently ongoing within the scientific community. Even though interbreeding of the two species has been observed, it has been hypothesized that there is some sort of barrier between the two marrons that prevents them from interbreeding easily. This hypothesis is based on some research that suggests interbreeding is less frequent than it would be if the smooth marron and the hairy marron belong to the same species. Aquaculture and conservation The aquaculture of hairy marron is a small-scale industry in Australia, which is also being utilized by the Australian Government to conduct a captive breeding program in an attempt to preserve the species. Efforts were also undertaken between 2013 and 2017 to regularly remove smooth marron from the few pools inhabited by hairy marron, but it was eventually decided that these fish outs were not having a pronounced enough effect to preserve wild populations. Conservation efforts have now turned toward expanding the captive breeding program and finding other sites where the captive marron could potentially be reintroduced to native water systems. References Parastacidae Critically endangered fauna of Australia Crustaceans described in 1912 Arthropods of Western Australia Endemic fauna of Southwest Australia