My Vanilla Lobster Is Pregnant

I got a vanilla lobster from petco 6 months ago. I named him Larry, and I thought he was dying because he wasn’t very active for a week or too. I woke up yesterday and Larry is covered in eggs under her tail and definitely not a boy! I have a lot of questions. What’s the best care for a pregnant lobster, should her light be on for the same time? I read somewhere to keep her in the dark which seems crazy. Also how can she be pregnant? She has molted at 3 times since I have had her and she is alone in her tank? I’m so confused! Also very worried about how to take care of her and her babies!!

 

Welcome to fishlore!

If she has been alone for 6 months and molted multiple times, then the eggs are not fertile.

It's not too unusual for females to have eggs without a Male present. They just won't turn into babies!!

No need to worry about baby care!!

 

Should her light be off like I read or does she need anything to feel like her eggs are safe? Just wanna make sure she’s ok even if tho I don’t think I will had any babies in the end. I read a different thread on here that a white lobster was pregnant, no babies in the end, she passed away! Just wanna make sure this doesn’t happen to her. I love her so much

 

I honestly don't know. Someone else with more crayfish experience will have to chime in.

I bred crayfish briefly, but never had a female with infertile eggs. So I am not familiar with how that might negatively affect the mother or not.

 

the light should be off atleast 8 hrs per night whether pregnant or not.

 

I always give her at least 8 hours no light. I usually try to shoot for 10. But I read somewhere her light should be off 24/7 if she pregnant which seemed very wrong to me so I haven’t done that. I can’t find anything online about what a “vanilla lobster” from petco really is. So it’s not helping trying to find care for a pregnant one. Petco said care for her the same and I’m extremely lucky to have this happen. They also said it’s 50/50 on if the eggs will hatch or not. So far the most knowledge I’ve gotten is the sad news above, that they aren’t fertile eggs. Does anyone know which crayfish clones itself? I’ve read one does but don’t know which kind!

 

marbled crayfish



"
Before about 25 years ago, the species simply did not exist. A single drastic mutation in a single crayfish produced the marbled crayfish in an instant.

The mutation made it possible for the creature to clone itself, and now it has spread across much of Europe and gained a toehold on other continents. In Madagascar, where it arrived about 2007, it now numbers in the millions and threatens native crayfish."

 

It's only fair you buy a male and leave her become a proper mum