Cubaris Murina "Mermaid Pearl"

Cubaris murina "Mermaid Pearl" is a breathtaking, highly dynamic, and visually spectacular designer morph mix that brings an incredible explosion of color and diversity to the hobby. This unique culture functions as an underwater-themed genetic kaleidoscope, beautifully blending several of the most striking color mutations of the classic Little Sea Isopod. Inside a single colony, you will find an amazing variety of individuals showcasing the fiery orange tones of the Mandarin morph, the soft pinkish-salmon hues of the Papaya morph, the subtle pastel colorations of the Anemone morph, and the pale, icy, translucent whites of the Glacier morph. They feature a smooth, beautifully compact, and highly domed shell structure. As a highly specialized defensive species, they are fully capable of rolling up into a tight, perfect little spherical bead when startled, looking like an array of colorful pearls scattered across your setup.

This morph mix is an absolute dream for both beginner keepers and advanced collectors who want a highly colorful, endlessly engaging display culture where no two individuals look exactly the same. Because they carry the bulletproof, incredibly resilient genetics of the classic Cubaris murina lineage, they are widely considered one of the absolute easiest and most forgiving starter Cubaris species in the world. They are an exceptional choice for keepers who love active display setups or want an overpowered, hard-working cleanup crew for humid tropical bioactive terrariums, as they safely manage waste while providing a stunning, multi-colored visual presence.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cubaris murina "Mermaid Pearl"

ORIGIN: The broader species is native to tropical regions globally, particularly across Southeast Asia and the Americas, with this specific colorful morph combination curated and perfected in captivity.

DIFFICULTY: Very Easy / Beginner (Excellent starter Cubaris)

TEMPERATURE RANGE: 18-26°C. They do perfectly at normal household room temperatures, but keeping them around 22-25°C keeps them highly active and breeding at their absolute fastest.

HUMIDITY & MOISTURE: 75-85% humidity. They thrive in a warm, moist environment but require a dependable moisture gradient. Maintain a layout where roughly half of the enclosure features a deeply damp, well-misted sphagnum moss zone for essential hydration, while the other side is kept damp-dry under thick bark cover. They are highly adaptable to variations in humidity, making them incredibly user-friendly.

DIETARY NEEDS: Their everyday diet relies on a constant supply of organic leaf litter and crumbling white-rotted wood. They have an excellent appetite for supplemental food and should be fed protein sources like high-quality fish flakes, dried shrimp, or minnows once or twice a week to support their fast growth. A permanent source of calcium, such as cuttlefish bone or limestone chunks, must be kept in the enclosure at all times for safe molting.

ACTIVITY LEVELS: High. Unlike many shy or cryptic cave species, they are remarkably bold, curious, and surface-active, regularly foraging out in the open and scaling cork bark pieces during both day and night cycles.

REPRODUCTION RATE: Prolific. They are incredibly reliable and fast breeders that establish dense colonies very quickly, making them highly satisfying to culture as you watch new color variations emerge with each generation.

SIZES: You will receive a healthy, robust mix of sizes ranging from small growing juveniles to young adults, providing an optimal demographic mix to ensure immediate colony establishment. The culture will feature a beautiful, random assortment of the different color morphs in the mix. As a smaller species, fully grown adults reach a maximum length of only about 1.0cm to 1.2cm. Fragile newborn mancae are never intentionally counted or shipped, though some may emerge naturally during transit.

PACKAGING: The isopods are packed with great care inside well-ventilated travel tubs filled with damp sphagnum moss to maintain perfect transit moisture. These containers are securely nested inside a sturdy shipping box padded with eco-fill, paper, or thick cardboard to completely insulate the culture from movement and extreme outdoor temperature spikes.

100% LIVE ARRIVAL: At TerraPods, we offer a 100% live arrival guarantee

20% OVERCOUNT: All isopod packages will come with a 20% overcount