Fisherman catches invasive sea creature with hairy claws from Oregon river
A fisherman reeled in a strange-looking sea creature with hairy claws from an Oregon river, wildlife officials said.
It ended up being an invasive species.
The Chinese mitten crab was caught April 22 from the Lower Columbia River near Tongue Point, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a news release.
The Columbia River divides Oregon and Washington.
The fisherman thought the crab looked “unusual,” so he took it to wildlife staff, and a biologist confirmed it was invasive, officials said.
It’s the first time a crab of its kind has been confirmed in the Pacific Northwest, wildlife officials said.
Chinese mitten crabs are a prohibited species because they caused “significant infrastructure and ecological damage” when they were discovered in the San Francisco Bay in the 1990s, officials said.
Because of this, wildlife officials said it’s important to report the crab if it’s ever seen.
A Chinese mitten crab can be identified by its hairy claws, a notch between its eyes and four spines on its hard shell, officials said.
These crabs vary in color from brownish-orange to greenish-brown.
They mainly live in freshwater but reproduce in saltwater when they are adults, officials said.
“Newly hatched larvae are in open saltwater in bays and estuaries and fully molted juveniles are found in brackish and freshwater areas within a few miles upstream of saltwater,” officials said.
It’s not known how the male crab got into the river, but officials said it could have been illegally introduced or been in a ship’s ballast water.
Large ships carry ballast water to add weight and stability to the vessel, according to ClearSeas.
When a ship dumps that water, it can introduce an invasive species to a new environment.
Biologists are working with other agencies to find out if there are more mitten crabs in the Columbia River.
Anyone who discovers the invasive species can report it online.
This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Fisherman catches invasive sea creature with hairy claws from Oregon river."
