Collecting Tiger crabs cape York

[northboy]

Hi All

Here is a couple of photos from a trip 5 years back to collect Tiger crabs H. Tigerensis.

They occur in a tributary of the Mitchell river called the Alice river, the Alice is on the Northern side of the Mitchell about 6 hours drive from Cairns, depending on the road conditions it can be up to 8 hours drive.

The actual creeks they occur in are side arms of the Alice right on a Gold mine and despite being a threatened animal they have done well because of the mine, Why because the miners shoot wild Pigs, one of the if not the only threat to them and they also built a small causeway keeping water there longer, this also keeps them away from the Pigs longer, the pigs dig them up in the dry and eat them this destroys the tunnel banks and kills lots of them, they have a special soil requirement for building there tunnels. Where they build blows me away every time I see it, it is like a high rise apartment block as there tunnels are up to 2 meters up the bank, the only crab I have seen do this so far, most are with in 30cm of the normal wet season water line.

We were collecting them under permit as they are protected animals, I am going to try for a permit again as I now know how to breed true fresh water crabs.

There creek is a seasonal one that is dry for 3 to 4 months of the year, at this time they, like all other fresh water crabs are under ground, it is at this time the females have there eggs and take them through to young crabs underground. they come off the mothers tail fully formed young ready to go. Pre dry season Mother crab takes leaves under ground to feed on for here and the young, she seals the tunnel up to keep the moister in and wont open it up again until it floods and conditions return to good. If it is a long dry the Crabs will open the tunnel and dig it deeper to reach water again, That is how most true fresh water crabs breed, but in captivity it is not necessary.

I could rave on and on but I wont if any one interested has a question please ask, OH water conditions? any thing that is of good quality as there environment change drastically through out the year.

I have more photos some where if I can find them I will add them, one photo is of the main road on Cape York, the rest are around where they live.

Bob

[bailey88]

What an awesome share bob thanks really cool looking crab too

[northboy]

It is a pity more people aren't in to the crabs as we have some fantastic one in FNQ and they are dead easy to keep, also feed right they don't eat fish or only dumb fish any way

Bob

[lachie1998]

Amazing little crabs, fantastic write up Bob and very informative, i learnt something new today:D

[BlueBolts]

Hi Bob, as always, great and informative write up....I would be keen on keeping crabs, but will need more info/research to ensure they're in an optimum environment. D you have a list of what's available, and direct me to more info....thanks heaps..

[sajica]

They're a lot nicer than the crabs I caught off my ex........

[fishmosy]

Fantastic stuff Bob. How big can these guys get?

[northboy]

Saj TO MUCH INFO LOL

Mosy these are the biggest of our natives so far at around 6cm

Blue there is not much out there in the way of useful info, what did you want to know extra?

They need

2 shelters/ caves to each animal, protection for when the shed there shell.

They dont need to get out of the water, but are quite capable of being out of water.

Diet is 95% veg 5% fish/ prawn, for breeding 50/50. no meet

Water conditions? so long as there is no Ammonia, NO2, NO3 its all OK

Colours WOW all forms and patterns on Red, Purple, Blue and combos of other colours

Females will carry up to 100 young

Young Crabs need lots of shelter as they are really hard on each other when the shed there shells

I have sold 100s at markets up here in FNQ and only have 3 people say they killed and ate there fish and I suspect they were not feed enough

You can handle them and they wont bite, just don't squeeze them or they will bite.

I said to Dean I would do a article on FW Crabs, as soon as I get more photos I will do the article.

There is a lot of new species to be found up here yet and colour variations.

[BlueBolts]

Thanks Bob, what's their preferred PH, KH & GH.....I love all things nano, and with vibrant colours...is there a particular specie you would recommend....

[northboy]

They are not fussy about there water so long as it is good quality, it changes through out the year SO much there is no preference, except to say some sort of hardness is good to keep there shells hard.

You would like the purple ones, I think I have put up a photo?

But here is another one

Bob