ALERT!
NINETEEN
Chinese mitten crab found in the mid-atlantic.
Live Chinese Mitten Crabs (Eriocheir sinensis)
have been found in Chesapeake Bay (2005-2007), Delaware Bay
(2007), Hudson River (2007-2008), and most recently
in New Jersey (2008).
To date, there have been 19 crabs documented and confirmed in
the eastern United States, including four states, all in the
past four years.
In New Jersey, mitten crabs were found in Toms River (June 1,
2008) and Raritan Bay (June 17, 2008). The Toms River crab is
the first confirmed record in the state of New Jersey. The male
crab, measuring 50mm, was found crawling on a crab holding pen.
The second crab caught in New Jersey was collected by a commercial
waterman in the Raritan Bay near Keyport, NJ on June 17, 2008;
it has been identified through pictures as an adult mitten crab,
sex still unconfirmed. This crab apparently was not the waterman’s
first catch, as the species was reportedly observed in the same
area at least weekly for the three weeks prior to this catch.
Also in 2008, four other mitten crabs were captured in the Hudson
River, New York, including one female (20mm on June 3) and three
males (16-26mm from June 9 to July 18). All crabs were caught
in freshwater near Tivoli, NY, approximately 100 miles inland
along the Hudson River by a research scientist, who was studying
eel movement on local tributaries. A total of seven mitten crabs
have been confirmed for Hudson River to date.
On
29 October 2007, a juvenile, female Chinese Mitten Crab was
found in the
Hudson River, New York. The crab was discovered by a local waterman,
who reported that it was washed up on the shore at Cold Spring
Boat Club, Cold Spring, NY. This
is the second Mitten Crab confirmed in the Hudson River and
was found about 30 miles north of Nyack, where the first crab
mitten crab (a large male) was discovered in June 2007. This
is the first juvenile found, but not any more.
BE ON THE
ALERT!
__________________________________________________________
They
have not been found in New England waters yet,
BUT people need to know
- how
to identify the Chinese mitten crab, and
- what
to do if you think you have found one
The
Chinese mitten crab (Eriochier sinensis) is native
to East Asia where it is valued as food. It spends most of its
life in fresh water and migrates to the sea to reproduce. It
is the only crab in fresh water and is characterized by the
fuzz on its claws.
IDENTIFICATION
• Only crab in fresh waters of North America
• Claws equal in size with white tips and fuzzy
• If you find a crab without fuzzyclaws, it is NOT likely
to be a Mitten Crab
• Carapace up to 4 inches wide; light brown to olive green
in color
• No swimming legs. This crab has eight sharp-tipped walking
legs
For
more information, check out SSCW's Chinese
mitten crab ID Card.
Please
be on alert for Mitten Crabs in bays and estuaries of the Atlantic
coast.
To date, people have found crabs in crab pots and washed up
on the shore.
REPORTING a Mitten Crab,
please:
• Do not throw it back alive!
• Freeze the animal, keep it on ice, or preserve it in
rubbing alcohol as a last resort
• Note the precise location and date where the animal
was found
• Please take a close up photo of the animal. Photos can
be emailed to hitchhikers@mit.edu or SERCMittenCrab@si.edu for
preliminary identification.
Include your contact information with the photo.
• Contact the Mitten Crab hotline at SERCMittenCrab@si.edu
or 443-482-2222.
REMEMBER THE LAW! Never transport
a live Mitten crab across state boundaries.
__________________________________________________________
For more information,
Check
out the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service National Management Plan to find
how California is dealing with this invasive and learn how they
have been found coming into into the U.S.
Read
the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Chinese mitten crabs reports:
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