“A Chinese mitten crab, a prohibited species in Oregon, was found in the Willamette River near the Sellwood Bridge and reported to ODFW on Nov 17. The crab was spotted in shallow water and captured by hand. It was alive and not released back into the river. Mitten crab is a non-native crab species that lives its adult life in freshwater and migrates to brackish water to breed, unlike Oregon’s native crab species that live in the ocean, bays, and estuaries. This recent confirmation is concerning for ODFW as another Chinese mitten crab was found in Oregon waters in April 2025 in a different location – marking the second confirmation of this invasive species in Oregon.”
“ODFW biologists are working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland State’s Center for Lakes and Reservoirs and the Oregon Invasive Species Council to determine if other mitten crabs are in the Willamette River,” says a press release from the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department.
Sounds itchy, dirty, and most of all deeply embarrassing. Like they need to be quieter about it.