Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish, Cambarellus patzcuarensis

[Mustafa]

It's a myth. People write lots of things when they have enough free time without researching any of the claims ("I *heard*...."). The wild strain is rarer because everyone wanted to have the orange crays once they came on the market. There is also a very dark strain that was developed from a "wild-type". It's very dark brown, really nice looking and people have been crossing it with the orange crays, too. I doubt this one is C. patzcuarensis, though. I think it's C. montezumae.

The problem also with the orange dwarf crayfish is that it may not be pure C. patzcuarensis anymore (or was it ever?). People in Germany have crossbred "wild type" crays of various related species (mostly C. montezumae in my opinion) with their orange crays in an attempt to intensify color and/or develop new color variations. Of course they had no clue as to what "wild type" species they were using to cross with their orange crays. So, more likely than not, the orange crays and "wild-type C. patzcuarensis" of today are hybrids.

[milalic]

It's a myth. People write lots of things when they have enough free time without researching any of the claims ("I *heard*...."). The wild strain is rarer because everyone wanted to have the orange crays once they came on the market. There is also a very dark strain that was developed from a "wild-type". It's very dark brown, really nice looking and people have been crossing it with the orange crays, too. I doubt this one is C. patzcuarensis, though. I think it's C. montezumae.

The problem also with the orange dwarf crayfish is that it may not be pure C. patzcuarensis anymore (or was it ever?). People in Germany have crossbred "wild type" crays of various related species (mostly C. montezumae in my opinion) with their orange crays in an attempt to intensify color and/or develop new color variations. Of course they had no clue as to what "wild type" species they were using to cross with their orange crays. So, more likely than not, the orange crays and "wild-type C. patzcuarensis" of today are hybrids.

I have to agree with what Mustafa is saying here. I have what is supposed to be C. montezumae and many of them look exatctly the same as the C. patzcuarensis sp. shocko(the dark ones).
I also think the C. patzcuarensis var orange we have are hybrids and resemble too much the C. montezumae. been hybrids might be the cause that some of us have problems breeding these crays.
what do you think about this?

[Mustafa]

I have to agree with what Mustafa is saying here. I have what is supposed to be C. montezumae and many of them look exatctly the same as the C. patzcuarensis sp. shocko(the dark ones).
I also think the C. patzcuarensis var orange we have are hybrids and resemble too much the C. montezumae. been hybrids might be the cause that some of us have problems breeding these crays.
what do you think about this?

I doubt the breeding problems stem from the fact that they are probably hybrids. If they are hybrids, then they are fully fertile hybrids, which means that they can freely reproduce among each other. Most, if not all, red cherry shrimp are most likely Neocaridina spp. hybrids, too, and they reproduce just fine. I'd say that problems with water quality are to blame.

[CWAUGH4]

I too am raising CPO'S & having a problem with them losing color & then slowly dying. Anyone have a clue?