But I also have affection for shrimp and crayfish. FILTER BY PRICE. Nevertheless, we returned the animals to the ditch after taking some photographs. After such a poor collecting stop, we looked for a night’s lodging near the harbor of Patzcuaro. Cambarellus is a genus of small freshwater crayfish in the family Cambaridae.The 19 species are found in Mexico (subgenus Cambarellus) and the Gulf States of the United States (subgenus Pandicambarus).Among the Mexican species, C. areolatus, C. patzcuarensis, and C. prolixus are considered seriously threatened by the IUCN, and C. alvarezi is already extinct. Seller 99.5% positive. May become territorial with each other. The most commonly known and kept orange CPO (orange dwarf crayfish) is one of them. The Orange Dwarf Crayfish is a selectively bred form of a tiny dwarf species native to crater lakes in Mexico. Notable examples include C. ninae (brown-colored),C.montezumae (yellow-colored), C. patzcuarensis (Mexican ‘orange-colored’ dwarf crayfish), C. shufeldtii (Cajun ‘grey/reddish brown-colored’ dwarf crayfish) to mention just a few. A varied diet is the key to success when it comes to keeping and breeding these animals. The Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish will not harm your shrimp in most cases. As someone who is interested in all things aquatic, over the years, I have kept a lot of different species of fish and bred many of them, with livebearers being one of my favorite groups from the beginning. If there are no big fish in the tank and lots of shelter is available, they don’t show any fear. According to the latest research, there are 19 species belonging to the genus Cambarellinae.To the untrained eye it can be difficult to differentiate them because they are all pretty small (3 – 5 cm or 1.5 – 2 inches long) and look very similar except for some variation in color grading and color pattern. While females of other crayfish species hide during this period and often stop eating, the orange striped dwarf crayfish females are not shy and walk around the tank even during the daytime. Gerald Pottern. Using her pleopods (swimmerets), the female builds a cover of mucus around every single egg and uses a fiber to attach each egg separately to her pleopod. They are appreciated by shrimp keepers for their peaceful nature and are the perfect addition to a shrimp-/invertebrate setup or even a community tank. That meant that most of the species disappeared from the hobby anyway. The unfertilized eggs and protein mucus are released into the nursery. He apparently bred the first orange-colored offspring of the striped dwarf crayfish. As someone who is interested in all things aquatic, over the years, I have kept a lot of different species of fish and bred many of them, with livebearers being one of my favorite groups from the beginning. Mexican Orange Dwarf Crayfish Florida Grown (Three Pack Unsexed). German breeders were able to combine multiple strains of Cambarellus patzcuarensis to obtain the wonderful orange coloration and small size of the Orange Dwarf Crayfish. Ammonia:              0ppm We didn’t take any measurements of the water parameters in the lake, but my research showed that the temperature of the water ranges between 15° and 25°C (60° and 77°F) throughout the year. While they're fairly easy to care for, it can be a struggle finding suitable tankmates. If you do receive a dead fish. During our visit, it was turbid with a milky white color. Ideal for planted or nano aquariums, they are plant and fish safe, and unlikely to harm any tankmates. Common name Mexican dwarf orange crayfish… One crayfish in particular attracted our attention—it was dark, nearly black colored, and completely covered with algae. I'm partial to the orange variety, myself. The next morning, we first strolled through the market of Patzcuaro, where the locals offered their goods. These dwarf crayfish are generally peaceful and … In some parts of the United States, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, mudbugs, or yabbies.Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea.They breathe through feather-like gills. After three or four months, they normally reach about 1½ to 2 centimeters (0.6 to 0.8 inches) and are sexually mature. All trademarks are either the property of Central Garden & Pet Company, its subsidiaries, divisions, affiliated and/or related companies or the property of their respective owners. Additionally, there is a chocolate-brown color morph of the striped dwarf crayfish, and of course, there is also the wild type. Temperature: 68-77 °F (20-25 °C) Maximum Size: 2 inches (5 cm) The term Mexican dwarf crayfish is used to encompass several species (Cambarellus) of small, peaceful crayfish. If you do spot your dwarf orange crayfish eating a shrimp or fish then you can safely assume it was already dead. Facts: Dwarf Mexican crayfish (Cambarellus patzcuarensis) is listed on the IUCN red list of endangered species. Filter — … The shoreline can move forward or backward a bit depending on the annual rainfall—because of drought and the recent human activities over the past few years, the lake lost 40 square kilometers (25 square miles) of surface area and 2.6 meters (8½ feet) of depth. The division between large cephalothorax and pleon is very pronounced. We are adding new crayfish to our selection all the time for sale online. Scientific name Cambarellus patzcuarensis Orange Cambarellus montezumae patzcuarensis. Oct 28, 2018 - Dwarf crayfish are small cousins of big crayfish species like the blue Procambarus alleni. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail. Naturally, regular partial water changes must be conducted on a consistent basis. According to various sources, the crayfish will live for about two years. Unfortunately, not one of the offspring produced was a spectacularly colored specimen. The orange dwarf crayfish is an uncommon and colorful cray that makes for an ideal breeding project in the home aquarium. This time, we took the road along the eastern bank of the lake leading to Quiroga. Temp:                     75-80F This happens mostly in the shelter of the darkness of night. Live arrival guarentee. Origin: Aquacultured Asia Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish, Cambarellus patzcuarensis. In a 60-liter (16-gallon) tank equipped with plants (such as Java moss), leaves, roots, clay tubes, and other hiding places like stones and bricks, a large cray population could develop. Scientific Name: Cambarellus patzcuarensis var. LIVE Young Adult Marmorkreb--Marbled--Self Clone Crayfish(EXACT CRAY)*read desc* $20.00 + shipping. pH:                          6.8 – 7.8 Since they didn’t come toward us, we eventually left the car and started catching fish on the opposite bank using a telescoping net. They are good at hiding and can hide for a whole day under a leave, behind a stone or in their hideout. Nitrite:                    0ppm The Orange Dwarf Crayfish is a wonderfully attractive selectively bred Crayfish that is priced for its coloration, temperament and small size. CPO is an acronym for Cambarellus patzcuarensis species Orange - and named for the Mexican lake in which they are found - though rarely in its orange coloration. The females lie on their backsand bring their tails forward over their bodies, ending up in a sideways U-shaped position. Dwarf Crayfish (from the genus Cambarellus) are the smaller versions of standard crayfish you see in the fish-keeping community. Papuan Orange Crayfish (Cherax holthuisi ‘orange’) $ 49.99. The bottom of the lake is covered with mud. Adult Size: 1.25″ In fact, C. patzcuarensis is endemic to the lake, which is located in Michoacan at around 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) above sea level and nearly 60 kilometers (38 miles) southwest of the major city of Morelia. Mexican Orange Dwarf Crayfish Florida Grown ( Six Pack) Unsexed. Delivery time is 1-3 days. This also includes the relatively new orange dwarf crayfish, which is rapidly becoming one of the more popular species of … Thanks to Google Earth, I now know it was the drainage of the El Molino spring. The male will pin the female onto her back and deposit sperm packets near her stoma. The road mostly remains far away from the water, but at one place, we found a way to it. One international traveler ventured to Mexico to collect these gorgeous crustaceans and bring them home to breed. For the next three to five weeks, she moves her pleopods constantly to supply the eggs with fresh, oxygen-rich water and to prevent dirt from accumulating on the eggs. But if you plan on having more than one you’re going to need a lot of extra space. These are very active and do not hide during light hours like most crayfish. The lake has an expanse of nearly 90 square kilometers (55 square miles). Water Conditions: 6.5-8.0 pH and Moderately Hard to Very Hard. While they are renowned as one of the only placid crayfish species, there are some limitations. While the wild form of this crustacean is normally an unremarkable grey or brown, this form has become extremely popular in the hobby due to its vibrant orange coloration. These particular species often do not have any intention to harm the tank mates or live plants. After that, the female gets back on her feet. It has 5 pairs of ambulatory legs which gave the name to the unit. Aquarium Plants, Goliath Tiger Fish (Hydrocynus cf. The Mexican dwarf crayfish and the … Mexican dwarf orange crayfish (Cambarellus patzcuarensis sp Orange, or just CPO for short) are full of personality, beautiful colors, and overall add a ton of life to a tank. The water doesn’t need to be turbid like it is in the lake; normal, medium-hard tap water will suit them. Sometimes pet shops would have some shrimp and crayfish that accidentally came in with a shipment of fish. Young crays molt every three to four weeks, and older specimens molt up to two times per year. Out Of Stock. This furred specimen was a real daredevil; he immediately took the opportunity to mate with a female crayfish in our photo tank. Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish (Cambarellus patzcuarensis ‘orange’). The pH is 6.5 to 8, the hardness changes from 12° to 18° German hardness, depending on rainfall, and the conductivity is at least 875 µs. In my tank, the striped dwarf crayfish are living together with guppies, dwarf swordtails, and snails, and even the offspring of these species survive. In terms of diet, they should be fed dried leaves, herbs, vegetables, fish flakes and pellets, live or frozen bloodworms, insect larvae, other worms, and pieces of mussel. Recommended Tank Size: 6 gallons A Crayfish irrespective of its temperament are omnivorous, but the Dwarf Orange Crayfish is different from others. Ideally, a tank with small shrimp or crayfish should be filtered by a Hamburg-style mattenfilter. If the tank has a lot of structure forming plenty of hiding places, even in crowded tanks, it will be rare for any specimens to lose a pincer. CPO Dwarf Crayfish (aka miniature crawdads) are an eye-catching fiery orange that adds a burst of color to any tank! The small size and fairly peaceful nature of these crayfish make them more suitable for community tanks than their larger relatives. Now I regret that I didn’t take home the black male from the ditch on the road to Quiroga. If you keep them in a species setup with a lot of hiding places, you can keep quite a few adults and a lot of offspring will grow up together. We approached the west shore of Lake Patzcuaro, coming from Zacapu. Mexican dwarf orange crayfish is suitable for smaller sized tanks (attaining a maximum length of 4-5 cm or 2 inches). The water parameters were a pH of 7 to 7.5, dKH (German carbonate hardness) of 5°, total hardness of 5°, and a water temperature of 18°C (64°F). In 2000, during a trip through the central plateau of Mexico on a quest for goodeids, we visited Lake Patzcuaro, the home of the striped dwarf crayfish. Behind a cattle meadow, a small footpath leads through the dense vegetation on the bank of the lake, but we couldn’t catch any aquatic animals because the water was too turbid. Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters (to which they are related). However, the first pair is quite indirectly connected with walking, since these are chelae which we all know well. Amazingly, the color of the eggs can vary from green, yellow, whitish, or gray to dark, nearly black. Some of the crays were distributed to Juan Carlos Merino, who also was living in the Netherlands at the time. goliath), Red Mouthbrooder Severum (Heros liberifer), L128 Blue Phantom Pleco (Hemiancistrus sp. The Alabama Dwarf Crayfish is very similar to the Orange CPO Crayfish in appearance and behavior, aside from the obvious difference in color. The tank-raised Orange Dwarf Mexican crayfish, or CPO, is a welcome member to the 40g planted South American Uniquarium tank. With her walking legs, the female cleans the eggs and removes spoiled ones. This bag-like sex organ, sometimes called the annulus ventralis, is a typical structure seen in American crayfish. The temperature of the water will affect their growth rate, with warmer water causing them to grow faster. These crayfish are approximately 1 1/4-1 1/2 inches long. According to some information I found online, the orange color morph of the striped dwarf crayfish originated in the Netherlands. Alternative species (click on the thumbnail to see the card) None (for the moment!) Orange Common Name: Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish Max Size: 1.5" pH: 6.5-8.0 Hardness: Moderate Temperature: 60-78° Aggressiveness: Peaceful Region of Origin: North America Captive Bred or Wild: Captive Bred Diet: Compatibility: Remarks: DISCLAIMER: Many states have regul SEARCH. While the bottom of Lake Patzcuaro is covered with mud, sand or pebbles will make a fine substrate. ©2020 TFH Magazine, a Central Garden & Pet Company. While they get along with a much larger variety of tankmates than large crayfi… In the 1970s and 1980s, only a few species of crustaceans were brought home from collecting trips by enthusiastic aquarists. Dwarf crayfish are fantastic aqua creatures and enhance the decorations of the home aquarium. Diet: Invertebrates, detritus, frozen & prepared feeds The orange dwarf crayfish is an uncommon and colorful cray that makes for an ideal breeding project in the home aquarium. The Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish is found to be beautiful, relatively peaceful, and low demanding. Seller 100% positive. Young dwarf crayfish breed very easily, so at the beginning, only males of the orange color morphs were sold. Actually, even small fish, snails, and other water plants could be housed with the crayfish. The body is covered with strong chitinous carapace of bright orange or even red color, due to which Patzcuaro got its name. We pulled the net through the aquatic plants in the middle of the water and caught some water bugs, tadpoles, crayfish, and goodeids. Names. Sometime around the late 1990s, it is likely that two hobbyists from the Netherlands, Simone and Brian Kabbes, brought some C. patzcuarensis home from a collecting trip in Mexico. Freshwater Tropical Fish Articles | TFH Magazine, http://www.tfhdigital.com/tfh/201304#pg67, Fantastic Freshwater Inverts | Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine, Marbled Crayfish Cloning | Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine. There we caught goodeids, aquatic insects, a Gammarus species, and Cambarellus patzcuarensis. Depending on the water temperature, after 4 to 30 days, the female will usually extrude between 20 and 40 eggs, with a maximum of 60 eggs. A few kilometers away from Patzcuaro, the road crossed a small, water-filled ditch. This beautiful and relatively peaceful 1.5 inch crayfish comes from Lago de Patzcuaro, a volcanic crater lake in Michoac n, Mexico, in the west-central mountain region. While there, we also looked for snails, shrimp, and crayfish. Freshwater invertebrates have really captured the attention of the hobby, with crustaceans (especially shrimps) generating a lot of hype. After hatching, young crays remain under the pleon (abdomen) of their mother until they are ready to take their first steps into the outside world without mom’s protection. After eating, we started looking for goodeids in this area. $62.00 + shipping. This crayfish has 19 pairs of limbs and all of them has their own tasks. You will receive three crayfish. Mexican dwarf orange crayfish (Cambarellus patzcuarensis orange) Tweet. After some hours of searching, we finally found the Rancho El Molino spring. The large amount of surface area in those types of filters allows plenty of room for microorganisms to colonize. I had a desire to travel to Mexico to collect aquatic animals, especially livebearers, and in the 1990s, I was able to do so. Dwarf crayfish are also known as mini lobsters, although true lobsters do not exist in freshwater. One international traveler ventured to Mexico to collect these gorgeous crustaceans and bring them home to breed. They do threaten each other if they come too close together, but they don’t seriously harm one another. Dwarf crayfish are very territorial and if your tank is too small they’ll end up fighting each other. They do not dig into substrate very often, nor do they harm plants. They’re often called many different names interchangeably. These in the highly popular CPO Dwarf Crayfish, (sometimes called "blue lobster crayfish") Electric Blue, Dwarf Blue, Clarkii in all colors including blue, white, and orange. Dwarf mexican crayfish are just a delight to own. Later on, some females were offered, but they were much more expensive than the males. The Cajun dwarf fish looks similar to Orange CPO. As a scavenger, they will feed readily on most frozen or prepared sinking diets. Cambarellus patzcuarensis 'orange', also known as the dwarf orange crayfish, are a dwarf crayfish species selectively bred to have a striking orange color. Luckily one dwarf crayfish and one betta can live in a 5-gallon tank together (A great tank for dwarf crayfish and bettas is the Fluval Spec 5 Gallon). Who knows, if I had, I might now have a black color morph of this crayfish. We ship on Monday and Tuesday. The Orange Dwarf Crayfish is a selectively bred form of a tiny dwarf species native to crater lakes in Mexico. The orange hue of the Mexican Dwarf Crayfish really makes your community aquarium pop. Only ill specimens are removed by the crays, helping to preserve the health of the entire community. Details. The white fish (Chirostoma estor) is endemic to the lake and is currently in danger of extinction. Blue Dwarf Crayfish (Cambarellus diminutus ‘blue’) $ 9.99. Preferred Water Parameters Care Level: Moderately Hard. It would help if we knew the size of your tank, how you are planning to decorate it, and how many crayfish you're looking to own? We found the dried fishes to be the most interesting, especially the pez blanco. This includes the Mexican Dwarf Crayfish, CPO Crayfish, Orange Dwarf Crayfish, and more. Now, they are not expensive and most people can afford these nice little crays. They serve as an additional rest for a crayfish, help it to collect food … In particular, the orange color morph of the striped dwarf crayfish (C. patzcuarensis) has a wide distribution and is offered in pet shops all over the world. Compared to many other crayfish, C. patzcuarensis is quite a peaceful species. See the full article on TFH Digital http://www.tfhdigital.com/tfh/201304#pg67. Brazos Dwarf Crayfish and other Dwarf Species of Crayfish. Nitrate:                  <30ppm, © 2021 Aqua-Imports | www.aqua-imports.com, Tissue Culture, Cupped & Misc. They don’t kill or harm other fish so, best to keep in community tanks. Among all types of Crayfish, it is seen to have an appetite for plants and algae. by. Dwarf crayfish are also called Mexican Dwarf Crayfish or Mexican Mini-Lobsters because they are mainly found in the lakes, rivers, and streams of - you probably guessed it - Mexico, as well as southern areas of the United States. All in all, the supply of invertebrates was very, very low compared to what we have today. The offspring of the crayfish are very tiny, so the filter intake should be covered with a sponge or net. He was a very special fellow in every sense. The pez blanco at the market was offered next to large crops, besides many other goods. Another popular type of crustacean is the dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus patzcuarensis or C. shufeldtii). This led to high prices for the in-demand color morph. The mucus acts as a protective cover and dissolves the male’s sperm packet so the eggs can get fertilized. Compatibility: Extremely peaceful, safe with almost all fish and other similarly-sized inverts. However, before they became popular, I found it difficult to sell the offspring of crayfish to pet shops or fellow hobbyists. Since they come from the central plateau of Mexico, they do not normally need a heater in their tank; as long as the room temperature is 20° to 22°C (68° to 72°F), the tank light will help warm the system to around 25°C (77°F), which will suit the crays. The coloration of our crayfish is MUCH higher quality than others for sale! They have a size that more closely mimics that of a shrimp, making them a great option for smaller aquariums. Technically speaking, the Dwarf Crayfish encompasses a few different freshwater species. While the wild form of this crustacean is normally an unremarkable grey or brown, this form has become extremely popular in the hobby due to its vibrant orange coloration. 5X Brazos Dwarf Crayfish Mini Lobster Cambarellus texanus FREE SHIP w/Heat Pack! We especially wanted to find the location of Rancho el Molino, which is well known among livebearer enthusiasts as a good place to find a few species of goodeids.