An official website of the United States government.

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser’s address (or “location”) bar.

This site is also protected by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that’s been signed by the U.S. government. The https:// means all transmitted data is encrypted — in other words, any information or browsing history that you provide is transmitted securely.

National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Aquatic Invasives / Aquatic Invertebrates / Rusty Crayfish

Rusty Crayfish

View all resources
Rusty crayfish
Rusty crayfish adult - Photo by U.S. Geological Survey
Scientific Name: 
Orconectes rusticus (Girard, 1852) (ITIS)
Common Name: 
Rusty crayfish
Native To: 
Ohio River drainage (Wilson et al. 2004)
Date of U.S. Introduction: 
First discovered outside of its native range in Wisconsin in the 1960s (DiDonato and Lodge 1993)
Means of Introduction: 
Probably through bait bucket releases (DiDonato and Lodge 1993)
Impact: 
Competes with native crayfish species and causes a decline in native species abundance (DiDonato and Lodge 1993)
Current U.S. Distribution: 
Great Lakes Region, New England, and Eastern U.S.

Spotlights

Invasive Crayfish Collaborative

Invasive Crayfish Collaborative.

The Invasive Crayfish Collaborative includes representatives of Great Lakes local, state and federal natural resource agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private businesses. These experts and stakeholders are working towards the region’s collective ability to manage and control invasive crayfish.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Point Map - Rusty Crayfish
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides detailed collection information as well as animated map.

Images

Google Images - Rusty Crayfish
Google.

Videos

YouTube - Know Your Invasives: Rusty Crayfish

Google. YouTube; University of Wisconsin-Madison. Center for Limnology.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Rusty Crayfish.

Council or Task Force
Priority Species: Invasive Crayfish

Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Washington Invasive Species Council.

Species of Concern Fact Sheet: Rusty Crayfish
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.
Partnership
Global Invasive Species Database - Orconectes rusticus (crustacean)
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invaders Factsheet: Rusty Crayfish

Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program (Canada).

NEANS Panel Online Guide - Rusty Crayfish
Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel.
TISI Inventory - Rusty Crayfish
Texas State University System. Texas Invasive Species Institute.
Federal Government
Invasive Rusty Crayfish

DOI. NPS. Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway.

National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System (NEMESIS) - Orconectes rusticus

Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Marine Invasions Research Lab.

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Fact Sheet - Rusty Crayfish
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides distribution maps and collection information (State and County).
International Government
Biological Synopsis of the Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) (2010) (PDF | 856 KB)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Central and Arctic Region.
Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2923.
State and Local Government
Invasive Aquatic Animals: Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes rusticus)
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Invasive Species - Crayfish

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Rusty Crayfish
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Top Invasive Concerns: Rusty Crayfish
Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife is monitoring the state's waters for the introduction of an aggressive invasive species, the rusty crayfish. Rusty crayfish were found for the first time in Colorado during routine sampling operations in 2009 in the Yampa River drainage between Steamboat Springs and the town of Yampa. Because of their larger size and more aggressive nature, rusty crayfish can impact fish populations by consuming small fish and fish eggs, and negatively impact fish and spread unwanted aquatic plants by aggressively harvesting underwater plant beds. Learn more how to identify the rusty crayfish, how to stop the spread and how to report sightings.
Academic
Animal Diversity Web - Orconectes rusticus
University of Michigan. Museum of Zoology.
Factsheet: Rusty Crayfish
Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania Sea Grant.
See also: Aquatic Invasive Species: Resources for additional species information
Invasive Species Guide - Rusty Crayfish
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Professional
Field Guide - Rusty Crayfish

Chesapeake Bay Program.

Meet the Species - Rusty Crayfish

Invasive Species Centre (Ontario).

Rusty Crayfish
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council (Michigan).

Citations