Zoea *successful captive breeding & rearing of C. variabilis

[wolfnipplechips]

Glad the paper helped! Don't forget to add credit to the authors under the diagram.

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

Glad the paper helped! Don't forget to add credit to the authors under the diagram.

oops will do that now! Thanks for reminding me

[aussieJJDude]

Glad to hear that they are going well!
Congrats, they are molting! You rock!

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

Ok so we have stage 2 zoea!
Ive learnt a lot over the last few days about C. Variabilis
#1 non feeding zoeal stages 1 & 2
#2 takes only 6-7 days to get to megalopa which is stage 3
#3 once megalopa they become cannibalistic (but will consume tropical fish flakes)
#4 they do not need a shell to metamorphose
#5 metamorphosis takes 1-2 days after digging down
#6 30% survival rate at 30 degrees celcius (significantly reduced at 25, just like our adult crabs, very sensitive to temperature)
#7 the whole aquatic stage lasts on average 25 days!!!!!!!
Alan W. Harvey who wrote the section abbreviated larval development in the Australian hermit crab ceonobita variabilis McCulloch (Anomura: Coenobitidae) pg 196 - 209 in the journal of crustacean biology Vol 12 no. 2 raised C. Variabilis larva to land dwelling stage from females heavy with eggs taken from the beach in darwin NT. The above information comes from this extract.
Well Mr Harvey Im happy to say my females have been in captivity for years

[aussieJJDude]

Ok so we have stage 2 zoea!
Ive learnt a lot over the last few days about C. Variabilis
#1 non feeding zoeal stages 1 & 2
#2 takes only 6-7 days to get to megalopa which is stage 3
#3 once megalopa they become cannibalistic (but will consume tropical fish flakes)
#4 they do not need a shell to metamorphose
#5 metamorphosis takes 1-2 days after digging down
#6 30% survival rate at 30 degrees celcius (significantly reduced at 25, just like our adult crabs, very sensitive to temperature)
#7 the whole aquatic stage lasts on average 25 days!!!!!!!
Alan W. Harvey who wrote the section abbreviated larval development in the Australian hermit crab ceonobita variabilis McCulloch (Anomura: Coenobitidae) pg 196 - 209 in the journal of crustacean biology Vol 12 no. 2 raised C. Variabilis larva to land dwelling stage from females heavy with eggs taken from the beach in darwin NT. The above information comes from this extract.
Well Mr Harvey Im happy to say my females have been in captivity for years

Does that mean that you don't have to feed them on stages 1 & 2?
Its really good that you have got them to stage 2, give your self a pat on the back for me, ok?

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

Exactly, they do not need to eat to develop but will if prey arises as their mouths are fully developed - facultative feeders
& thank you for the pat on the back young man! Its not often in life such a thing occurs

I feel very proud to have come this far, I was always planning on looking into this area (breeding & rearing) in great depth at some stage in the future.... It appears as if the universe had a different idea and gave me a crabbie shove in the right direction

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

perhaps this is one of the first steps in securing our wild populations, Captive breeding would significantly change the hermit crabs life here in Australia, they are harvested off the beach (as they do in other countries/species).
Once they cease being a throw away pet here ($10 AUD in SA) I am certain that the level of care & knowledge required to keep one of our magnificent land dwelling crustaceans as pets will lift drastically and the survival rate will increase.
This raises a new question.... What should the purchase value of a captive bred crab be? Considering expenses related to breeding. how many of you would prefer to buy a captive bred crab rather than a harvested wild crab? I know my answer, whats yours?

who knows..... one of us may have our captive bred crabs for 34 years plus

Mods I would love it if you started a poll of sorts & general discussion to find out what the current general consensus is re Captive or wild & value.

[aussieJJDude]

I would love to get a captive breed, if you manage to get a few into the land stage and wanted homes for some, I would jump at the chance! I would love to have one that is reared in a tank, knowing I have "saved" one wild crab from coming into the pet trade and most likely, dying.

WOW, the crabs are $10! I can get a small ones for $5!

[wodesorel]

We had talked about what people would pay a few years ago - it came down to that there will be hardcore crabbers who will pay high prices per crab for captive bred because of what it represents, and then there will be people who don't see the value in it.

You're welcome to start another thread asking. I'm kind of interested myself to see now that we actually have people attempting it and crabbers in Germany who have done it. Before, it was just theory!

[CrabbyIrene]

Amazing! I'm one that would pay whatever $$$ for a captive bred crabbie. Good luck and keep the pics coming

[Element]

I agree, I would pay big $$ for captive bred. Since all the ones we have have lived in the wild at one point they have the instinct to be very protective. It would be so fun to see a crab that has never experienced danger! Imagine how outgoing/friendly/lovable they might be after a few generations!

[aussieJJDude]

I agree, I would pay big $$ for captive bred. Since all the ones we have have lived in the wild at one point they have the instinct to be very protective. It would be so fun to see a crab that has never experienced danger! Imagine how outgoing/friendly/lovable they might be after a few generations!

That isn't entirely correct. What if the crab was mistreated before it arrived to you? It would take some time for the crab to trust you...

[Rocky]

I would fork out alot of dough too, just because of what that wee baby represents in the crabbing community, and how much effort went into getting that baby to me

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

My evolving setup on a budget. I went to 2 Jars as it was easier to do a jar swap then it was to do a water change with all those exos floating everywhere.

Stage 2 Zoea

[aussieJJDude]

Yay, stage 2, next thing you know they will be trying on shells and morphing into land crabbies
Congrats!