A highly invasive crab species that is capable of climbing concrete structures over 13 feet tall – first discovered in the Pacific Northwest, wildlife officials said.
A commercial fisherman caught the official confirmed Chinese glove crab The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said photos of crabs were released last week in the Under the Columbia River south of the Washington State border.
“So far, the Pacific Northwest has not been confirmed in the Pacific Northwest,” the department said in a press release on Thursday.
Officials warned that the species caused damage in San Francisco Bay thirty years ago.
"Although this is a rare event in Oregon, the Mitten crab caused significant infrastructure and ecological damage in and around the San Francisco Bay when its population reached its peak in the late 1990s," the department said.
Officials say the crab is a large male who can be illegally introduced into the river by ballast water on a person or on a boat.
What is Chinese glove crab?
Chinese glove crabs are an invasive species originally from East Asia. The Smithsonian says crabs first established an invading population in the San Francisco Bay in the 1980s, but they spread to the East Coast and own Recently discovered In New York.
The crabs are named after their furry glove-like paws, ranging from brown-orange to green-brown colors. Unlike any native crab species, they have four thorns on either side and a notch between the eyes.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, crabs are able to climb a concrete structure that is at least 13 feet tall.
"Glove crabs can also pass through the locking system, which may climb up the fish ladder, or leave the water, and walk around obstacles with appropriate terrain," the bureau said.
These creatures are known to steal fishing baits and damage fishing gear, prevent power plant cooling systems and even expand flood risk by digging holes, causing them to become unstable and eroded.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says that most of the time Chinese glove crabs spend in freshwater, but adults can only breed in salt water.
"The newly hatched larvae are located in the open saline water in the bay, and the juveniles have found completely rubbing larvae in salty and freshwater areas several miles upstream of the saline water," the department said.
What's next
Oregon wildlife biologists are working with Washington Fish, Wildlife and NOAA departments to determine if the area is in the area. Officials said they will build trap lines and collect water and samples, "looking for specific environmental genetic markers of Mitten Crab."
Meanwhile, officials urged the public to pay attention to furry creatures and report any witnesses to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife or the Oregon Invasive Species Council.
"It is important to correctly identify the species and report it to your local ODFW office and find where it is," the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Bureau said.