Misool Mini Cherax - Cherax misolicus

The Misool Mini Cherax - Cherax misolicus takes its name from the island of Misool, where it has its occurrence near the town of Fakal. This small cherax is closely related to Cherax warsamsonicus, which is also quite recently determined, but genetic studies have shown that it is a separate species. The first pictures of this species were not taken until 2016, when we were able to send our good friend Marten Luther Salossa to the island to photograph the animals.

Besides its beautiful coloration of blue, green and orange tones, the Misool Dwarf Crayfish stands out due to its small final size of 10-12 cm (measured without claws) - a dwarf crayfish from Papua that is super suitable in pairs already for aquariums from 60 cm edge length is a real sensation!

The bright blue-green colored claws of Cherax misolicus are laterally strikingly beige to light orange colored. In males, the scissor blisters, also beige to orange in color, sit in this stripe. The claw arms of the Papuan dwarf crayfish are bright blue in color, with pale articular membranes. The carapace of the Misool Dwarf Crayfish is greenish blue and bears a conspicuous dark margin. On the abdomen of Cherax misolicus, an orange-beige coloration appears around the bottom, while the top of the segments are a blue-green color with a conspicuous dark blue pattern. The legs are blue-gray with orange-beige joints.

In addition to the scissor bladders, a male Misol Dwarf Crayfish can be identified by its paired sexual orifices, which are located between the attachments of the 5th pair of legs. In females of this Papuan crayfish, the gonopores are located between the 3rd pair of walking legs.

Socialization of Cherax misolicus with peaceful, rather large, and surface-oriented ornamental fish is possible, although the crayfish may still chase fish - crayfish are character animals. Adult Misool crayfish can be kept together with dwarf shrimps. Snails are part of the natural food spectrum of Papuan crayfish and are readily cracked and eaten.
Never socialize Cherax misolicus with other crayfish, as life and death fights can develop if they are incompatible. In addition, American crayfish transmit crayfish plague, which is fatal to the Misool Dwarf Crayfish. This transmission can also occur through water, so the Papua Dwarf Crayfish should also not come into contact with water in which American crayfish have been kept. Also an association with crabs, large arm shrimps or fan shrimps is not compatible.

The aquarium for these small crayfish must be set up with plenty of hiding places in the form of crab burrows and shelters under roots or rocks. Climbing opportunities are also important - beware, the crayfish like to wander, so the aquarium must be thoroughly sealed! Cherax misolicus digs short tunnels into the substrate, so please secure the aquarium setup well against overturning and undermining.

Cherax misolicus is not known to be a heavy herbivore; robust aquatic plants such as hornwort, waterweed and co. are a good choice for greening the crayfish aquarium. What is always possible are floating plants. Although the one or other will certainly be fished here, however, enough nutrient eaters remain - or you add plants regularly.

The Misool Dwarf Crayfish copes well in the aquarium with a wide range of different water values. It feels comfortable with a pH value between 6.5 and 8 and a water temperature between 20 and 25 °C.  It is important that the water is oxygen-rich and relatively clean. Then a slight current, and everything is perfectly perfect for the beautiful little crayfish from Papua.

Cherax misolicus can be bred in the aquarium. The females of Cherax misolicus care for the fertilized eggs under their abdomen until the approx. 30-50 young crayfish hatch after about six weeks. The juvenile crayfish also remain under their mother's abdomen for several more days until they eventually become independent. The young of the Misool Dwarf Crayfish grow rather slowly. Breeding in a separate tank without adult crayfish is advisable. The juvenile crayfish are also cannibalistic among themselves, so they need plenty of hiding places (for example, in a perforated brick) in the rearing tank. A decent layer of brown autumn leaves also serves as a hiding place for the young crayfish of Cherax misolicus and additionally as a permanent natural food source.

Young Cherax misolicus are omnivores and need animal food as well as plant food. Older Misool dwarf crayfish, on the other hand, feed almost exclusively on plants and can develop moulting problems if too much animal food is consumed. With our NatureHolic foods Cherax junior and Cherax adult we take this peculiarity of crayfish nutrition into account.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free from snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend when keeping fish the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.