Little Sea Isopod

Cubaris murina

OtherbeginnerHarmlessCommunal OK

No venom, no sting

This species is considered harmless to humans, with no medically significant venom or sting. Handle gently and wash your hands afterward.

About

The Cubaris most people should start with — faster, cheaper and far more forgiving than the collector species in the genus, while still wanting the same warm, humid, limestone-rich setup. That makes it a genuine working clean-up crew for high-humidity enclosures rather than a display-only animal. Keep the substrate damp throughout with a wetter corner, provide limestone or cuttlebone permanently, and feed leaf litter and rotting wood continuously with an occasional protein source. Several colour forms circulate in the trade under this name. They are morphs of one species, and isolating them takes patience and separate containers rather than anything clever. DETRITIVORE, harmless.

Taxonomy

FamilyArmadillidae

GenusCubaris

Native regionPantropical; widely established

TypeTerrestrial

Temperamentharmless, active

Size & growth

Adult size0.3-0.4 inches

Growth ratemedium

Climate

Temperature72–82 °F

Humidity75–90%

Enclosure

Adult sizeshoebox tub or larger

Substratecoco fiber and topsoil kept damp; limestone, leaf litter

Substrate depth2-3 inches

Water dishOptional

Feeding

Feeding modeDetritivore (decaying matter)

Prey sizen/a (detritivore)

Adult cadenceleaf litter always available; protein weekly

Times kept: 0 · Unverified community entry