Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) - High Risk

Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.

The history of invasiveness of Eriocheir sinensis is high. It has been introduced and spread to many parts of Europe, Central Asia, and North America. E. sinensis has been shown to have negative impacts on the structural integrity of banks and levees in San Francisco. The impacts of this species on not only the ecology of the invaded range but also the regional economies as well has been documented in gray literature. E. sinensis is a carrier of the crayfish plague, an OIE-reportable disease. The climate match is high. The many of the areas with the highest matches either already have reproducing populations of E. sinensis or have had records of a few individuals without evidence of reproduction. The climate match suggests that there is a possibility for this species to spread further in the United States. The certainty of assessment is high. The overall risk assessment category is high.