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Invasive 'furry' clawed Chinese crabs that terrorize fisherman are taking over New York
An invasive crab from China known terrorize fisherman's and block cooling systems of power plants is now taking over New York.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) recently issued a warning about the 'Mitten Crab, known for its fuzzy claws, urging residents to capture the crab, place it in a freezer and call their local officials.
Sightings of the crab have been reported along the Hudson and Nissequogue rivers and the Long Island Sound, following a trend of past invasions in San Francisco, the Chesapeake Bay and even London's river Thames.
Marine scientists have also raised concerns that the invasive creature could crowd out many vulnerable local species and alter the food web.
'These crabs move between brackish and marine waters,' conservationists said, 'and have the potential to disrupt local ecosystems by out competing native marine life.'
State officials documented sightings of the invasive Chinese mitten crab along the Hudson and Nissequogue rivers and the Long Island Sound, following a trend of past invasions in San Francisco, the Chesapeake Bay and even London's river Thames (as pictured above)
The invasive crab is known to steal fisherman's bait, damage gear - and worse block the cooling systems of power plants - New York's Department of Environmental Conservation said
NYDEC described the mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), which is native to East Asia, as a 'generalist predator' capable of altering entire food webs as they 'forage on native fish eggs and invertebrates.'
The mitten crab's burrowing techniques can cause riverbank 'instability and increased erosion, which in turn increases flood risk and reduces habitat.'
The light brown to olive colored Chinese crustaceans start small, and their claws do not develop until adulthood.
The claws have dense patches of brown bristles or 'setae,' which give the mitten crabs their name.
Commercial shrimp trawlers brought the crabs to the US in 1992, first establishing the population in San Francisco Bay.
And because they are a delicacy in Asia, the creatures have been illegally imported to markets in Los Angeles and San Francisco - the US does not permit the import, export or sale of live mitten crabs.
The first mitten crab was reported in New York in 2007 when it was found in a commercial crab pot in the Hudson River near Tappan Zee Bridge.
Conservationists implored the public to look out for 'a notch on the carapace between the eyes and four small lateral spines on each side of the carapace for additional identification markers in juvenile crabs.'
NYDEC told New Yorkers that they should make sure to 'inspect and remove debris and mud from boats, trailers, and equipment,' with an eye toward spotting the crab.
NYDEC described the mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) as a 'generalist predator' capable of altering entire food webs as they 'forage on native fish eggs and invertebrates'
The light brown to olive colored Chinese crustaceans start small (above), and the department advised that their claws' dense patches of brown bristles or 'setae,' which give the mitten crabs their name, do not develop until adulthood
Conservationists implored the public to look out for 'a notch on the carapace between the eyes and four small lateral spines on each side of the carapace for additional identification markers in juvenile crabs' (as pictured above)
State conservation authorities advised that, if a mitten crab is spotted it should be removed from the environment, photographed and then frozen for later analysis.
'Make sure to take identifying photos and note your precise location,' NYDEC said. 'Report your sighting to the Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health by emailing: [email protected].'
The department is part of the nationwide Mitten Crab Network, a partnership between several US state, federal and research organizations that has succeeded in repelling the invasive crab from the west coast since 2010.
The last confirmed record a live mitten crab along the eastern seaboard was obtained from the Chesapeake Bay near Maryland's Patapsco River in 2014, according to a map maintained by the Smithsonian institute.
'Mitten crabs have also been found sporadically in the Great Lakes and the US Gulf Coast,' the institute said, 'but haven’t established a breeding population in either region.'
NYDEC officials posted a general warning to the department's Facebook page in an effort to curb the spread of potentially dangerous invasive species of any kind.
'Remember, never release any non-native animal or plant into the wild,' department conservationists said.