Chinese Mitten Crab

Scientific name: Eriocheir sinensis

Common names: Chinese mitten crab

Native To: Pacific coast of China and Korea (NAS Database 2011)

Date of U.S. Introduction: 1991 (West Coast); 2005 (East Coast) (NAS Database 2011)

Images: Google

Video: Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat (or click Play button below)

Means of Introduction: Ballast water (also possibly through intentional releases) (Cohen and Carlton 1997)

Impact: Interference with fish salvage operations, fish passage facilities, water treatment plants, power plants, and other facilities (Cohen and Weinstein 2001)

Current U.S. Distribution: West Coast; Great Lakes; Chesapeake Bay (NAS Database map)

Federally Regulated: Listed as injurious wildlife under the Federal Lacey Act, which makes it illegal in the U.S. to import, export, or transport between States without a permit (DOI, Fish and Wildlife Service)

Management Plans: Aquatic Species / Chinese Mitten Crab

Selected Internet Resources:

• Federal Government
• State Government
• University/Academic
• International
• Organizations

Chinese Mitten Crab
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Controls

How to Identify a Mitten Crab (PDF | 198 KB)
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts

Eriocheir sinensis
Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
Taxonomy

Mitten Crab Watch
Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Special Note: Initial background information - Chinese Mitten Crab Information Page

Eriocheir sinensis - National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System, Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database
Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion

Eriocheir sinensis Article Citation Search - AGRICOLA Database
USDA. National Agricultural Library.
Research; Special Note: NAL Catalog Search (resources)

Eriocheir sinensis - Rhode Island Marine & Estuarine Invasive Species Site
DOC. NOAA. National Estuarine Research Reserve System. Narragansett Bay Research Reserve. Coastal Training Program.
Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution

Chinese Mitten Crab - Eriocheir sinensis (PDF | 561 KB)
DOD. USACE. Engineer Research and Development Center. Environmental Laboratory. Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Marine Invasive Species: Eriocheir sinensis (PDF | 586 KB)
DOI. NPS. Natural Resource Program Center.
Photographs; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion

Chinese Mitten Crab Surveys of San Joaquin River Basin and Suisun Marsh, California, 2000 (PDF | 2.46 MB)
DOI. United States Geological Survey.
Distribution

Eriocheir sinensis - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
DOI. USGS. Southeast Ecological Science Center.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Special Note: Distribution maps and collection information (State and County)

Chinese Mitten Crab
California Department of Fish and Game. Central Valley Bay-Delta Branch.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Life Cycle; Distribution; Legal Aspects

Chinese Mitten Crab Watch
Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Legal Aspects

Chinese Mitten Crab Alert for the Hudson River Estuary
New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat

Chinese Mitten Crab - Invasive Species Fact Sheet (PDF | 280 KB)
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Taxonomy; Introduction/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Legal Aspects

Distribution, Ecology and Potential Impacts of the Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) in San Francisco Bay (Jun 2000; PDF | 1.05 MB)
University of California. Water Resources Center.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution

Chinese Mitten Crab - Exotic Aquatics on the Move
National Sea Grant Network and Geographic Education Alliances.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Controls

Chinese Mitten Crab
Washington Sea Grant.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution

Eriocheir sinensis - Invasive Species Compendium
Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International (CABI).
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Eriocheir sinensis - Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe (Oct 2006; PDF | 195 KB)
European Commission. Sixth Framework Programme.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Biological synopsis of the chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) - Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2812 (2007; PDF | 1.5 MB)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Hosted: Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. Aquatic Nuisance Species Project.
Citation: Veilleux, E., and de Lafontaine, Y. 2007. Biological synopsis of the chinese
mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis). Can. Manusc. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2812: vi + 45p.

Eriocheir sinensis (PDF | 151 KB)
GoConsult. Exotics Across the Ocean.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution

Chinese mitten crabs
Natural History Museum (United Kingdom).
Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls

Eriocheir sinensis - Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet (PDF | 441 KB)
North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Eriocheir sinensis (crustacean) - ISSG Global Invasive Species Database
World Conservation Union. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Chinese mitten crab
Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Invader of the Month - Chinese Miten Crab (Jul 2007)
Maryland Invasive Species Council.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution

Species: Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis)
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. Aquatic Nuisance Species.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Distribution; Dispersion; Legal Aspects; Special Note: Bibliography

Chinese Mitten Crab - Non-Indigenous Aquatic Species of Concern for Alaska (PDF | 120 KB)
Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Dispersion

Eriocheir sinensis - Guide to Marine Invaders in the Gulf of Maine (PDF | 297 KB)
Salem Sound Coastwatch. Marine Introduced Species Monitoring Resource Center.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution

Citations

Cohen, A.N. and J.T. Carlton. 1997. Transoceanic transport mechanisms: introduction of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, to California. Pac Sci 51(1): 1-11.

Cohen, A.N. and A. Weinstein. 2001. The Potential Distribution of Chinese Mitten Crabs (Eriocheir sinensi) in Selected Waters of th Western United States with U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Facilities (PDF | 4.9 MB). Tracy Fish Collection Facilities Studies, V 21. DOI, Bureau of Reclamation.

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. 2011. Eriocheir sinensis (Chinese mitten crab). USGS, Gainesville, FL.