Red swamp crayfish could be the next invasive species to take up residence in the Great Lakes, researchers say.
While the red-hued crayfish are considered a culinary delight in places like New Orleans, they can wreak havoc on freshwater ecosystems.
They can grow up to 5 inches long and eat native fish, aquatic plants, amphibians and even other crayfish, which could be detrimental for the Great Lakes if they become established.
“We’ve been worried about the red swamp crayfish, which is kind of the most globally widespread and harmful of invasive crayfish,” Eric Larson, an assistant professor in the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Illinois, told the Great Lakes Echo.
Females can carry up to 900 eggs and reproduce several times a year, which means once they are established it becomes very difficult to get rid of them.
“I think crayfish are very difficult to remove after they’ve established a population,” Larson said.
“You don’t have to miss a lot of individuals in a lake or a pond for that population to bounce back. It’s not impossible, but it can be costly and time consuming, and where we can, we’d really like to prevent invasions from happening.”
The hardy crayfish aggressively competes for food and habitat with native crayfish and other species.
“Most ecosystems have crayfish in them, and when red swamp crayfish come in, they can compete with these existing native crayfish for food or shelter and displace them,” Rachel Egly, a research associate at the Institute of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago, told the Echo. “This can really change food webs and how other organisms interact with this new species.”
Native to the Gulf Coast region of the United States and Mexico, the crayfish have been spotted in Michigan inland waters and in Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay in Ohio.
It is believed the introduction of the crayfish to Sandusky Bay may have been intentional in an attempt to get a harvestable population established for human consumption, the U.S. Geological Survey says.
Alternative theories suggest anglers bought the crayfish to use as bait or they were introduced through classroom releases or the aquaculture industry, according to Michigan State University.
To prevent the spread of the invasive species, some states, including Michigan, have made it illegal to transport live red swamp crayfish for whatever reason. Other efforts include education and public outreach.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at least 25 invasive species have taken up residence in the Great Lakes since the 1800s, including zebra mussels, round gobies and the Asian carp.
https://weather.com/science/environment/news/2019-04-04-great-lakes-red-swamp-crayfish-invasion
lets deal with the invasive species in DC first
than we will have an ‘ol time New Orleans cook off in lake Erie to celebrate