OREGON — Officials are urging Washingtonians to stay vigilant after a second invasive Chinese mitten crab was spotted in Oregon’s waterways recently.
On November 18, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed a Chinese mitten crab was caught in the Willamette River near Portland. This is the second mitten crab detected this year in the Lower Columbia River watershed.
Both crabs were spotted in Oregon portions of the watershed, but Washington officials are asking residents to stay vigilant and report any suspected sightings of this invasive species.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Chinese mitten crabs are regulated as a prohibited invasive species in Washington state, and legally cannot be kept or transported while alive.
The invasive crab spends most of its life in freshwater but reproduces in estuaries or saltwater. According to the Washington Invasive Species Council, its burrowing habits can harm dikes, levees, and stream banks by increasing erosion and damaging associated systems (such as flood control and water supply). Chinese mitten crabs also eat and outcompete native species and can carry harmful pathogens.
The crab is about 3 inches wide, and their outer claws appear hairy and mitten-like. They also have four spines on either side of their eyes.
To learn more and report sightings of the mitten crab, visit: invasivespecies.wa.gov/priorityspecies/mitten-crab/
To report suspected sightings of other aquatic invasive species, visit invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/ or the WA Invasives mobile app. You can also call WDFW’s Aquatic Invasive Species hotline at 1-888-WDFW-AIS or email ais@dfw.wa.gov to report sightings.
More information on Chinese mitten crabs is available here: wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/invasive/eriocheir-sinensis
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