Alien invaders: Chinese mitten crabs in the Thames and spreading
Rainbow, P.; Robbins, R.; Clark, P. (2003). Alien invaders: Chinese mitten crabs in the Thames and spreading. Biologist 50(5): 227-230
In: Biologist. Institute of Biology: London. ISSN 0006-3347, more
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| Keywords |
Taxa > Species > Introduced species
Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853 [WoRMS]
ANE, British Isles, England, Thames Estuary [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal; Brackish water; Fresh water |
| Authors | | Top |
- Rainbow, P.
- Robbins, R.
- Clark, P.
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| Abstract |
The Chinese mitten crab was introduced as an alien invader into western Europe, probably initially in ballast water, in about 1912. Since the early 1990s, mitten crab numbers in the Thames catchment have risen dramatically. The crabs are ravenous omnivores, feeding on the indigenous freshwater fauna and flora, and outcompeting native crayfish. |
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