| Common Name: Mexican Orange Dwarf Crayfish |
| Species Name: Cambarellus patzcuarensis |
| Temperature Range: 16-28oC (60-82oF) |
| pH Range: Medium hard - Hard water (pH 6.0-8.0) |
| Size Range: 1 - 1.5" (2.5 - 4cm) |
| Origin: Mexico |
| Diet Type: Omnivore |
Mexican Orange Dwarf Crayfish
Mexican Orange Dwarf Crayfish are one of my favorite crays and probably one of the most beautifully colored. The females tend to be slightly larger than the males at about 1 ½ in. They are commonly found in 2 varities; striped and molted. This orange variety will rarely be found in the wild. Their wild color is most often brown or tan. If the orange mutation showed up in the wild it would surely be picked off by predators. There is a lot of controversy to the purity of the orange stain being 100% patzcuarensis. Never the less they do breed true and all offspring will be the orange color from 2 orange parents. There are breeders in Germany and around the world that do cross the wild strain with the domesticated strain for the purpose of strengthening their DNA. All the orange that I am breeding have not had this done they are all from orange parents.
Tank Requirements
Many adults can live in a tank as small as 10 gallons. The number of hiding places should always outnumber the crayfish. I use cut up PVC and small clay pots to create a safe haven for the crays. Babies require many hiding places or they will eat each other during molts.
Breeding
Breeding can happen as early as 1 inch in size. The male will pin the female on her back to transfer sperm which the female can hold onto for long periods of time until she feels it’s safe to extract her eggs. The female will carry the eggs under her tail and be black in color. As the babies start to develop you will see the body parts forming such as, the eyes. Eggs take approx 30 days to hatch.
Feeding
Crayfish are scavengers & will eat whatever they find. I supplement their diet with several types of commercially available foods commonly found at most pet stores. As their staple diet I use 100% pure spirulina flake. I also use algae wafers or pellets that are high in spirulina. To mix things up a bit I will give them some fresh vegetables from time to time such as, spinach, peas, or zuccinni. I blanch the spinach prior to feeding the crays to clean and help it sink to the bottom.