How Fast Baby Isopods Grow

Baby isopods, known as mancae, are one of the most interesting parts of colony development. Although they begin life extremely small, they grow steadily through repeated molts until they reach adult size.

How quickly baby isopods grow depends on the species, enclosure design, feeding quality, and overall stability of the colony. If you're looking to buy isopods UK keepers breed successfully, understanding growth rates helps you choose species that match your goals. You can browse isopods available in the UK or explore our isopod breeding guide for more support.

What Are Baby Isopods Called?

When young isopods first emerge from the female’s brood pouch, they are called mancae. At this stage they already resemble tiny adults, but they are missing their final pair of legs.

As they molt and grow, they gradually develop this final pair and transition into juveniles.

Our guide on how isopods carry eggs