Cubaris murina - "Murina"
CUBARIS
Cubaris murina is distributed across tropical and subtropical regions globally, possibly originating from Southeast Asia. They are popular for their visual morphs, hardiness, and easy care. They make for a great beginner species.
Species Characteristics:
Morphology:
Size - Small, 0.8 - 1.2 cm long as adults.
Murina can come in a variety of morphs (colourations) with the most common including grey, orange, and white, amongst several other variations.
Murina belong to the genus Cubaris, which is known for its ability to conglobate, meaning to roll into a tight defensive ball when startled, protecting the head and underside of their body.
Activity Level:
Medium to high.
Murina are generally pretty active and can be seen walking around and resting underneath pieces of bark, moss, and leaves. They can be seen more active at night.
Reproductive Rate and Maturity:
Murina generally establish quickly, reproducing within one month of entering a new setup.
Murina take 6 - 8 weeks to reach sexual maturity and produce around 20 - 30 mancae (babies) per clutch. The gestation period before the mancae are born is around 2 - 3 weeks. During this time, they develop in the mother's marsupium, a temporary water-filled pouch on the underside of the mother's thorax, before being born.
Most isopod species are capable of reproducing once they hit 50% - 75% of their adult size.
Diet:
An isopod’s main diet is the leaf litter and substrate in their setup but it is recommended to supplementally feed your colony once or twice a week to ensure they get additional nutrition.
Murina seem to enjoy protein slightly more than vegetables. Fish food and dried shrimp are popular protein sources. It is also observed that an abundance of protein boosts reproductive rates, useful when establishing a new colony.
Always be mindful and ensure no pesticides were used before feeding fruits and vegetables and remove any uneaten food after 1 - 2 days to prevent the onset of mold.
General Setup:
Enclosure Size:
Our recommended enclosure size for starting a colony of 12 - 24 isopods is a transparent 5 litre bin with three or four cross-ventilation holes along the length, each hole measuring roughly ½ mm.
Substrate:
Provide 2 - 3 inches of substrate that consists of a 60% vermicompost to 40% coco peat ratio. Substrate should be refreshed once or twice a year to prevent harmful frass (waste) buildup and maintain overall colony health.
Humidity, Hydration, and Temperature:
Adequate humidity is essential for all isopod species as they rely on respiration through the pleopodal lungs on the underside of their abdomen which must stay moist to function. The best way for isopods to regulate their humidity requirements is through a moisture gradient.
Murina enjoy a moderate-to-high moisture gradient, meaning roughly 50% - 70% of the enclosure should be moist. They are a hardy species and can tolerate humidity fluctuation when starting out.
Around ¼ - ⅓ of the enclosure should contain sphagnum moss which helps hold humidity. The dampest point of the setup should be on the far side of the enclosure under the moss.
Additionally, always keep the substrate slightly damp, never allow it to become bone-dry, even on the drier side of the setup.
Maintain these parameters by gently pouring and/or spraying water once a week or whenever the setup begins to dry out.
Murina enjoy warm room temperature conditions (22 - 28° ideally)
Leaflitter, and Hides:
As dried leaf litter serves as one of their main food sources, it is important that your isopods always have a plentiful layer covering around 80% of the enclosure. We provide dried leaves from mango and almond trees but as a general rule, any leaves from hardwood trees are safe for isopods. Periodically replenish as needed.
Murina enjoy sitting under pieces of bark as well as inside of lotus pods if you provide them. They also enjoy burrowing, particularly as mancae (babies) and juveniles.
Calcium:
All isopods need a calcium source to maintain their exoskeleton and prevent issues when moulting. Common sources of calcium are cuttlefish bone and egg shell refined into small pieces. A calcium source should be scattered around the enclosure at the time of setting up and periodically refreshed when needed.
