Claws for alarm: 'Furry' invasive species of crab caught on the Oregon Coast

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Officials are asking folks to keep a lookout after a highly invasive species of crab with a noteworthy feature was spotted on the Oregon Coast this week.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, a commercial fisherman caught what officials identified as a Chinese mitten crab on Tuesday in the Lower Columbia River, east of Tongue Point.

Named for their distinctive furry claws, mitten crabs can vary in color from a brownish-orange to a greenish-brown, according to ODFW.

They add the fisherman "did the right thing" bringing it in to ODFW since they are not only invasive, but prohibited in Oregon.

"Mitten crabs caused significant infrastructure and ecological damage in and around San Francisco Bay when the population was at its height in the late 1990s," an ODFW spokesperson said. "So, it is important to correctly identify this species and report it to your local ODFW office with the location found."

Officials said the crab found in the Columbia was a large male that could have been introduced illegally into the river by a person or by ballast water from a ship, which sometimes carries aquatic organisms to new locations.

ODFW adds that this is a notable first, as Chinese mitten crabs have not been seen in the Pacific Northwest now. However, a single Japanese mitten crab was found in the same area in 1997.

Given this, they are encouraging river-goers to keep an eye out for mitten crabs and report any found to ODFW along with photos and location.

You can also report a sighting online to the Oregon Invasive Species Council.