Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) in the St. Lawrence River and Estuary, Canada: new records and risk of invasion

Yves Lafontaine,Guy Verreault,Richard Calvé,Éloïse Veilleux,Simon-Pierre Despatie,Jean-Marie Sévigny

doi:10.3391/ai.2008.3.2.5

Abstract

Recent reports of Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) in the St. Lawrence River and Estuary were compiled to assess the possible sources of the species based on genetic analyses and data on shipping traffic. Between 2004 and 2007, nine specimens were captured in both the fresh and estuarine waters of the St. Lawrence; a number unprecedented in the 40 years since the mitten crab was first sighted in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Basin. These sightings, added to those of the eastern United States, are indicative of a large-scale wave of introduction of the mitten crab to Eastern North America. Genetic analyses have suggested that the St. Lawrence specimens likely originated in Europe. No significant changes have been noted in maritime traffic to the St. Lawrence in recent years, but analyses have revealed that 42% of ships came from European countries where established populations of Chinese mitten crab have exhibited recent bursts in abundance. It is suggested that the recent wave of introduction of mitten crabs to Eastern North America is related more to changes in the abundance of European populations than to changes in shipping vector activity. These recent sightings are of major concern with regard to the establishment and spread of the species. It is therefore recommended that long-term monitoring programs be set up immediately to track the progress of the mitten crab invasion in the St. Lawrence River basin.

Highlights

Native to China and North and South Korea, the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis H
Given the recent changes in the shipping trade between North America and Asia (Normille 2004), we examined inbound maritime traffic in the St. Lawrence River (SLR) and how this might have contributed to the introduction of the crab
One crab individual captured at SainteAngèle-de-Laval (SLR) in fall 2004 was released before species confirmation, but the description of this specimen was considered an unequivocal identification by a knowledgeable fisherman

Summary

Introduction

Native to China and North and South Korea, the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853, is an internationally recognized aquatic invader that has successfully established itself in rivers and estuaries in 11 different countries in Western Europe (Herborg et al 2005), as well as San Francisco Bay in the United States (Cohen and Carlton 1997; Rudnick et al 2003). Mitten crab populations can significantly affect local biodiversity and cause structural damage to shorelines due to their burrowing activities (Rudnick et al 2000). The presence of the Chinese mitten crab in the North American Great Lakes (Canada and United States) was first reported in the Detroit River in 1965 (Nepszy and Leach 1973), only six years after the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway gave transoceanic vessels access to these inland waters. Over the forty years, fourteen additional crab sightings were reported in the

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Conclusion