Thai Blue Angel Isopods (Cubaris sp.)

Shine a UV torch on most isopods and nothing happens. On a Thai Blue Angel, it lights up electric blue. This Thai Cubaris genuinely fluoresces under UV-365 light, an electric-blue glow that is one of the few chances most keepers will get to see biofluorescence in their own animals, and a party trick almost nothing else in the hobby offers. Even in ordinary light it is a handsome, smooth, blue-grey isopod; under UV it is something else. Every colony we send is captive-bred here in the UK.

Introduction

This is Cubaris sp. 'Thai Blue Angel', a Thai species with a smooth, rounded body and a naturally cool blue-grey-to-silvery colour. Despite the premium looks it sits in the accessible tier of the genus alongside the Panda King: hardy, prolific and forgiving of the odd husbandry slip in a way the sensitive cave rarities are not. One honest point on the name, though: the "Blue Angel" is a tendency, not a guarantee. Individuals range from white through blue-grey and silver to cream and even faintly orange, and the blue comes through most in mature adults, so young stock can look pale before it settles. The good news is that the UV glow works on every individual regardless of its daytime colour.

Appearance and behaviour

A medium-to-large Cubaris at 12 to 20 mm, smooth-shelled with a subtle sheen that catches the light. Unusually for the genus it is a bark-clinger rather than a deep burrower, spending its time on the undersides of cork and wood, which makes it more visible and active than most Cubaris; give it plenty of bark and it rewards you by being out where you can see it. Like the rest of the genus it rolls into a tight ball when disturbed.

Care

Thai Blue Angels are warm-tropical and want 24 to 28°C, so winter heating is realistically needed in most UK homes, on a thermostat and mounted to the side. Keep humidity around 55 to 70% on a gradient, roughly a third damp and the rest drier, damp but never waterlogged. Because they cling to bark rather than dig, wood structure matters more here than for most Cubaris: stack cork and decaying white wood in various orientations, leaving gaps beneath for them to hold on to. Build the substrate on organic topsoil, flake soil and white-rotted hardwood rather than coco coir, with crushed limestone through it for constant calcium. Our complete Cubaris care guide has the detail.

Diet

An unfussy detritivore: leaf litter and decaying white wood as the constant base, with kinshi particularly well received, plus small amounts of vegetable, the occasional bit of fruit and regular protein such as fish flake or dried shrimp. Keep a permanent calcium source going, feed lightly and often rather than in big drops, since excess food moulds fast in the warmth, and let a springtail culture keep it in check.

Who is this for?

The Thai Blue Angel suits the keeper with a little experience stepping up into Cubaris, anyone drawn to the UV feature, and the display keeper who wants an elegant, visible, genuinely active Cubaris. It makes a sound stepping stone toward the demanding rarities like the Rubber Ducky, and sits well beside the Cappuccino and the tricolour Pak Chong. It is a poor fit for a cool, unheated room, or for anyone expecting every individual to be uniformly blue in daylight. The rest of the genus is there to compare.

All stock is captive-bred here in the UK and travels under our live arrival guarantee, in a ventilated deli tub with damp sphagnum inside a double-walled box. We post Monday to Thursday by Royal Mail next day before 1pm, with a 20% overcount in every order.