Dwarf Mexican Crayfish Breeding Guide
How to breed the dwarf Mexican crayfish (Cambarellus patzcuarensis): water conditions, the berried female, and rearing cannibalistic juveniles.
Overview
Cambarellus patzcuarensis is a dwarf crayfish endemic to Michoacan, Mexico, named after Lake Patzcuaro, which sits at an altitude of 2,035 m. Wild specimens are typically brown and reach 4-5 cm in total length including the claws; the bright orange aquarium strain (commonly sold as CPO) is a colour mutation rarely found in the wild. Unlike the parthenogenetic marbled crayfish, this species reproduces sexually and is widely reported to breed readily in aquaria. The wild population is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Breeding Conditions
A mature mixed-sex group kept in stable, well-oxygenated water is the basis for reproduction. The recorded tolerance for the species spans 18-26 C, pH 6.5-8.0 and a general hardness of 6-18 dGH, with low water flow. Plenty of hiding places such as caves, pipes and leaf litter reduce aggression and give a gravid female a secure place to retreat. A varied omnivorous diet conditions adults for spawning.
- Temperature: 18-26 C (64-79 F)
- pH: 6.5-8.0
- GH: 6-18 dGH
- Water flow: low
- Adult size: 4-5 cm total length including claws
Berried Female & Juveniles
After mating the female carries the developing eggs and then the hatched young attached beneath her abdomen, releasing them only once they are sufficiently developed. Photographic documentation shows juveniles roughly one week after they have detached from the mother. A berried female should be left undisturbed in heavily structured cover until the young have dispersed.
Challenges
Crayfish are cannibalistic, and siblings cannot be kept together in small containers for any length of time. Juveniles therefore need abundant cover and spread-out food, and crowding in bare or undersized grow-out containers leads to losses. Because the species is Endangered in the wild and the aquarium trade is its principal pressure, captive-bred stock should never be released into natural waterways.