Juvenile Mitten Crab Characteristics: + notch between the eyes + claws may not be hairy if carapace width is less than 20 mm (¾ inch) + claws are hairy by 25 mm (1 inch) carapace width The first notable invasion of Chinese mitten crab occurred in Germany in the early 1900’s. The Chinese mitten crab occurs in both freshwater and saltwater. Chinese mitten crabs are light brown and have hairy claws that are typically white-tipped, giving the appearance of mittens. (Figure 1. This Chinese mitten crab, a highly invasive, non-native species, was captured at Chesapeake Beach, Md., in 2007. As its common name suggests, the Chinese mitten crab is native to the pacific coast of China and Korea. As an adult, the Chinese mitten crab is a medium-to-large sized greenish or brownish crab that may be observed in freshwater, estuarine or marine habitat depending on the stage of its life cycle. The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis; Chinese : t 大閘蟹, s 大闸蟹, p dàzháxiè, lit. They have a notch between the eyes and 4 lateral carapace spines. Both adult and juvenile Chinese mitten crabs have a notch between their eyes, with two small spines located on either side of the notch. This was the first confirmed report of a Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) in the Eastern United States. "big sluice crab"), also known as the Shanghai hairy crab (上海毛蟹, p Shànghǎi máoxiè), is a medium-sized burrowing crab that is named for its furry claws, which resemble mittens. The crab inhabits rivers, estuaries and coastal lakes across Northeast China’s Yalu River where is the border between China and North Korea, to Chiu-lung River in South China’s Fujian province. A Chinese mitten crab out of water. Chinese mitten crab, known as Chinese hairy crab, is named for its furry claws. Photo credit: newenglandboating.com) Basic Identification Key Adult The most distinguishable feature of a Chinese Mitten crab is the mat of dense fine bristles, setae, typically apparent in males, along the claws with peaking white pincers giving the impression of wearing mittens hence the name. It has since plagued a number of Northern European countries, as well as areas in Western Asia The species is native to East Asia, and is a potential invasive that could have negative ecological impacts. The Chinese mitten crab is a medium-sized burrowing crab that is named for it’s furry claws, which resemble mittens. (Image courtesy of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center). A juvenile Chinese mitten crab was recently found in Greenwich, the first confirmed report of the creature in Connecticut waters. It is currently the only crab to live in freshwater in Ireland and Britain and therefore may have significant impacts on the functioning of this environment. The Chinese Mitten Crab is very distinctive crab, light brown in colour, with hair growing on equal sized claws that are often referred to as ‘mittens’. It is also known as the Shanghai hairy crab, and it is native to rivers, estuaries and other coastal habitats of eastern Asia from Korea in the north to the Fujian province of China in the south. “The Chinese mitten crab is a traditional food source in China, where it supports an important aquaculture industry yielding high annual production (200 000 tons in 2000; Chen & Zhang, 2006 in Veilleux & de Lafontaine, 2007), worth approximately $1.25 billion (Hymanson …