Lepidothelphusa cognetti
The panda crab is naturally found in the mountain waters of Borneo, Sarawak, Indonesia. These crabs can be found in shallow currents, in areas with substrate consisting of a thick layer of fallen tree leaves. Although these crabs are not difficult to keep and breed, they are rarely found in aquarists' collections. Even novice aquarists will be able to keep these crabs.
Lepidothelphusa cognetti has a contrasting black and white coloration. It has yellow-white claws and part of the body. The legs are black or dark purple. The abdominal flap is U-shaped in females and V-shaped in males. It is a dwarf crab and does not exceed 4 cm in size.
Lepidothelphusa cognetti require water and land - so the best place to keep them would be an aquaterrarium. These crabs like to dig in the ground very much, so the terrestrial part should have an earthy substrate. Furthermore, it is advisable to equip the terrestrial part with shelters in the form of stones, snags or grottoes. Panda crabs are gregarious and therefore they should be kept in a group of 5-6 animals in an aquaterrarium.
The aquaterrarium should be densely planted with aquarium plants. In the aquatic area as the substrate used coarse-grained river sand. At the bottom are snags, tree branches, pre-dried oak or beech leaves. Make sure the crabs are able to get out of the water and onto dry land. A cover is necessary to prevent crabs from escaping from the aquaterrarium.
Water parameters: temperature 22-25° C, hardness dH 6-25°, acidity pH 8,0-8,5. The air temperature should be between 23-28°C and the humidity between 80-100%.
Lepidothelphusa cognetti are predators by nature. They feed on all smaller crustaceans, molluscs and frozen foods. Dried leaves do not only provide a suitable shelter, but they also serve as food supplement. You can occasionally give them fruit, vegetables or shellfish food for a change.
Reproduction
There are currently no reports of successful breeding of Lepidothelphusa cognetti in an aquaterrarium.
In the wild, after mating, females incubate up to 30 eggs under a flask, from which fully viable crabs hatch after a few weeks. The mother takes care of her offspring for 3-5 days, after which the young crawl out from under the flap and begin to live an independent life. It is very important to provide shelter for the young, during their first days of life.
Lepidothelphusa cognetti has a lifespan of about 2-3 years.
