See it: Invasive species of crab spotted for first time in Pacific Northwest
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) says a fisherman along the lower Columbia River, in the border region of Washington and Oregon recently discovered a Chinese mitten crab. It is the first confirmed sighting of the species in the Pacific Northwest.
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NEWPORT, Ore. – An invasive species of crab, native to East Asia, has been spotted for the first time in the Pacific Northwest, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The agency reported that an alert fisherman discovered a Chinese mitten crab along the Columbia River, which forms the border between Washington and Oregon.
Biologists warn that this crustacean, typically found in freshwater habitats near saltwater environments, poses a threat to native species.
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Chinese mitten crabs are known for their distinctive hairy, mitten-like claws and a notch between their eyes, although they are often misidentified as native species.
Using their claws, the crabs are known to feed on a wide range of organisms, including fish eggs, small invertebrates and aquatic plants.
Wildlife experts are particularly concerned about the crab’s potential impact on the region’s critical salmon population.
Chinese mitten crab. (Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife)
Additionally, large groups of crabs can damage aquatic infrastructure such as levees, dams and bulkheads.
The ODFW stated that it is unclear how the crab arrived in the Columbia River, but it may have been introduced by humans or inadvertently transported by a passing ship.
A similar discovery occurred in 1997, when what was believed to be a Japanese mitten crab was found in the region, but the discovery did not lead to the establishment of a local population.
Chinese mitten crab (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife / FOX Weather)
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The recent sighting is not the first sighting of the Chinese mitten crab in the Lower 48.
The species was first reported in San Francisco Bay in 1992 and has since been found in the Gulf Coast, Great Lakes and along the East Coast.
The ODFW said it is working closely with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and NOAA to determine whether additional Chinese mitten crabs are present in the river, but, so far, has found no evidence of a large-scale invasion.
The agency encourages anyone who spots the crab along the Columbia River or nearby waterways to report the sighting to the Oregon Invasive Species Council.