WASHINGTON -- If you're crabbing and you catch an alien-looking crab with "furry" claws, do not throw it back.
Anne Arundel County officials took to social media to warn people about the Chinese Mitten Crab, an invasive species that can be found in freshwater and saltwater.
The Mitten Crab is described as having furry white-tipped claws, light brown to olive green round bodies with a U-shaped notch between the eyes.
If you catch one of these crabs, officials advise the public to not throw them back alive.
If you catch a Chinese Mitten Crab, please do the following as advised by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center:
- Do not throw it back alive!
- Take a close-up photo.
- Note the precise location where the animal was found.
- Freeze the animal, keep on ice, or as a last resort preserve it in rubbing alcohol.
- Please report a mitten crab by submitting information and photos to Mitten Crab WATCH or email to SERCMittenCrab@si.edu. We will reply to each report and may also ask about any specimens that you may have collected.
- For other questions, you can also contact the Mitten Crab Hotline at 443-482-2222.
To view Mitten Crab sightings, click here.
