Mitten crabs keep coming

April

29. That’s the number of Chinese mitten crabs, an invasive crustacean from Asia that is on a federal most-unwanted list, found in the Hudson River.

The latest was found on April 14 just into the Catskill Creek, a Hudson tributary in Greene County. The other 28 have been found between the Catskill Creek and Haverstraw Bay.

From the state Department of Environmental Conservation:

The Chinese mitten crab, a non-native species from East Asia, is a costly and environmentally damaging invader in Europe and San Francisco Bay. The first one was caught in early June, 2007 in the Hudson River Tappan Zee section 27 miles upstream from the mouth.

Why be concerned? These crabs are aggressive and may compete with our popular native blue crab in the Hudson River. Their burrowing habits may threaten stream bank and earthen dam stability and promote erosion and habitat loss.

Read the latest CMC alert.

Previously on TNOT: More Mitten Crabs

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 at 10:37 am by Mike Risinit.
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