Ecological Risk Screening Summary - European Crayfish (Astacus astacus) - Uncertain Risk

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.

Astacus astacus is a freshwater crayfish native to Europe. It is widely distributed extending from France in the west to Russia in the east, and from Italy, Albania and Greece in the south to Scandinavia in the north. It is a popular species for human consumption in certain locations, and is commercially harvested. Astacus astacus has been introduced to scattered locations in the UK, continental Europe, Siberia, and Morocco. There are no reported introductions of this species in the United States. This species is vulnerable to the crayfish plague, which reduces the potential of this species to be able to successfully invade U.S. waters. Climate match with the United States is high, particularly the Great Lakes region. More research is needed to understand the impacts from introductions for this species. Absence of this research makes the certainty of this assessment low. Overall risk posed by this species is uncertain at this time.