Skip to main content
Log in

Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis in the Baltic Sea—a supply-side invader?

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis (H. Milne-Edwards, 1853) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Varunidae) invaded the Baltic Sea about 80 years ago, published information on its present distribution and abundance in this region is lacking. We provide here information on its Baltic-wide distribution and long-term population dynamics. The species has been found all over the coastal Baltic Sea and also in some adjacent rivers and lakes. The Chinese mitten crab appears to have increased in abundance in recent years in the northeastern part of the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga, northern Baltic Proper). Higher catch rates were observed in spring (April–June) and autumn (September–November). The size variation of crabs in different samples was low (mean carapace width 6.1–6.3 cm). Despite findings of gravid females, the reproduction of the mitten crab in the central, northern and eastern Baltic region is considered unlikely due to low salinity and the individuals caught are assumed to actively migrate into the region from the species’ main European distribution area (southeastern North Sea), certainly over 1500 km migration distance. Thus, the dynamics of the North Sea population is probably regulating, at least in part, the occurrence of the Chinese mitten crab in the Baltic Sea area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anger K (1990) Der Lebenszyklus der Chinesischen Wollhandkrabbe (Eriocheir sinensis) in Norddeutschland: Gegenwärtiger Stand des Wissens und neue Untersuchungen. Seevögel 11(2):32–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Anger K (1991) Effects on temperature and salinity on the larval development of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis (Decapoda: Grapsidae). Mar Ecol Prog Ser 72:103–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Antsulevitch AE, Välipakka P and Valovirta I (2003) How are the zebra mussels doing in the Gulf of Finland? Proc Estonian Acad Sci Biol Ecol 52:268–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Bacevicius E (2004) The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis Edw., Decapoda: Grapsidae) in the Curonian Lagoon and Lithuanian Coastal Zone. Abstract book of the symposium on The Baltic—sea of aliens, p 19. Gdynia, Poland

  • Boettger CR (1933) Die Ausbreitung der Wollhandkrabbe (Eriocheir sinensis Milne Edw.) in Europa. In: Sitzungberichte der Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde v. Berlin, pp 399–415

  • Borowski W (2000) Round goby in the Vistula Lagoon. Magazyn Przemyslu Rybnego 4(2):39

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmantier G, Haond C, Lignot JH, Charmantier-Daures M (2001) Ecophysiological adaptation to salinity throughout a life cycle: a review in homarid lobsters. J Exp Biol 204:967–977

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cieluch U, Anger K, Aujoulat F, Buchholz F, Charmantier-Daures M, Charmantier G (2004) Ontogeny of osmoregulatory structures and functions in the green crab Carcinus maenas (Crustacea, Decapoda). J Exp Biol 207(2):325–336

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Czerniejewski P, Wawrzyniak W (2006) Body weight, condition, and carapace width and length in the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne-Edwards, 1853) collected from the Szczecin Lagoon (NW Poland) in spring and autumn 2001. Oceanologia 48(2):275–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Christiansen ME (1982) A review of the distribution of Crustacea Decapoda Brachyura in the Northeast Atlantic. Quaderni Laboratorio Tecnologie della Pesca 3:347–354

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu KH, Ho HY, Li CP, Chan TY (2003) Molecular phylogenetics of the mitten crab species in Eriocheir, sensu lato (Brachyura: Grapsidae). J Crustacean Biol 23(3):738–746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feistel R, Nausch G, Mohrholz V, Lysiak-Pastuszak E, Seifert T, MatthäusW, Krüger S, Hansen IS (2003) Warm waters of summer 2002 in the deep Baltic Proper. Oceanologia 45:571–592

    Google Scholar 

  • Fladung E (2000) Untersuchungen zur Bestandsregulierung und Verwertung der Chinesischen Wollhandkrabbe (Eriocheir sinensis). Schriften des Instituts für Binnenfischerei e.v. Potsdam-Sacrow 5:1–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Frederich M., Sartoris FJ, Arntz WE, Pörtner HO (2000) Haemolymph Mg2+ regulation in decapod crustaceans: physiological correlates and ecological consequences in polar areas. J Exp Biol 203:1383–1393

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gollasch S (1999) Eriocheir sinensis (Milne-Edwards, 1854), the Chinese mitten crab. In: Gollasch S, Minchin D, Rosenthal H, Voigt M (eds) Exotics across the ocean. Case histories on introduced species: their general biology, distribution, range expansion and impact. Logos, Berlin, pp. 55–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris RR, Aladin NV (1997) The ecophysiology of osmoregulation in Crustacea. In: Hazon N, Eddy FB, Flik G (eds) Ionic regulation in animals. Springer, Berlin, pp 1–25

    Google Scholar 

  • HELCOM (2002) The Baltic Sea. HELCOM MONAS 4:1–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Herborg L-M, Bentley MG, Clare AS, Rushton SP (2003) The spread of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) in Europe; the predictive value of a historical data set. Hydrobiologia 503:21–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herborg L-M, Bentley MG, Clare AS, Last KS (2006) Mating behaviour and chemical communication in the invasive Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. J Exp Marine Biol Ecol 329:1–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ICES (1999) Report of the working group on introductions and transfers of marine organisms (WGITMO). ICES CM 1999/ACME:01 Ref. E, F

  • ICES (2003) Report of the working group on introductions and transfers of marine organisms (WGITMO). ICES CM 2003/ACME:04 Ref. E, F

  • ICES (2004) Report of the working group on introductions and transfers of marine organisms (WGITMO). ICES CM 2004/ACME:05 Ref. E, G

  • Janas U (in press) The Baltic Sea colonization by Palaemon elegans Rathke, 1837 (Crustacea, Decapoda) as an indication of environmental change. Hydrobiologia

  • Jespersen H (1998) Uldhåndskrabbe ved Arnager. Bornholms Natur 1:50–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Jogi E (2000) The uncommon Chinese mitten crab is swimming in the Mõdriku reservoir. Retrieved from http://www.arhiiv2.postimees.ee:8080/leht/00/04/22/ on 22nd April 2000

  • Kotta J (2000) Impact of eutrophication and biological invasions on the structure and functions of benthic macrofauna. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Biology and Geography, University of Tartu, 160 pp

  • Kotta J, Kotta I, Simm M, Lankov A, Lauringson V, Põllumäe A, Ojaveer H (2006) Ecological consequences of biological invasions: three invertebrate case studies in the north-eastern Baltic Sea. Helgoland Marine Res 60:106–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemaire P, Bernard E, Martinez-Paz JA, Chim L (2002) Combined effect of temperature and salinity on osmoregulation of juvenile and subadult Penaeus stylirostris. Aquaculture 209:307–317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leppäkoski E, Gollasch S, Gruszka P, Ojaveer H, Olenin S, Panov V (2002) The Baltic—a sea of invaders. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 59:1209–1228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molin G (1995) Kinesiska ullhandskrabbor liftar till Södertälje? Fauna och Flora 90(4):14–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Molin G (1997) Kinesiska ullhandskrabban vandrar vidare. Fauna och Flora 92(4):44–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Montú M., Anger K, de Bakker C (1996) Larval development of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne-Edwards (Decapoda: Grapsidae) reared in the laboratory. Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen 50:223–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nausch G, Feistel R, Lass HU, Nagel K, Siegel H (2003) Hydrographisch-chemische Zustandseinschätzung der Ostsee 2002. Meereswissenschaftliche Berichte 55:1–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Normant M, Wiszniewska A, Szaniawska A (2000) The Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis (Decapoda: Grapsidae) from the Polish waters. Oceanologia 42(3):375–383

    Google Scholar 

  • Normant M, Chrobak M, Skóra KE (2002) The Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis—an immigrant from Asia in the Gulf of Gdaósk. Oceanologia 44(1):124–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Normant M, Korthals J, Szaniawska A (in press) Epibiota associated with setae on Chinese mitten crab claws (Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne-Edwards, 1853): A first record. Hydrobiologia

  • Ojaveer H, Simm M, Lankov A (2004) Population dynamics and ecological impacts of the non-indigenous Cercopagis pengoi in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea). Hydrobiologia 522:261–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olenin S, Leppäkoski E (1999) Non-native animals in the Baltic Sea: alteration of benthic habitats in coastal inlets and lagoons. Hydrobiologia 393:233–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panning A (1938) The Chinese mitten crab. Annual report of Smithsonian Institute. Smithsonian Institute, pp 361–375

  • Panning A (1952) Die chinesische Wollhandkrabbe. Die neue Brehm-Bücherei 70:1–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Panning A, Peters N (1932) Wollhandkrabbe und Elbfischerei. Hamburger Nachrichten 6:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Panov VE, Bychenkov DE, Berezina NA, Maximov AA (2003) Alien species introductions in the eastern Gulf of Finland: current state and possible management options. Proc Estonian Acad Sci Biol Ecol 52(3):254–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Panov VE (2006) First record of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Varunidae) from Lake Ladoga, Russia. Aquat Invasions 1:28–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peters N (1933) B. Lebenskundlicher Teil. In: Peters N, Panning A (eds) Die chinesische Wollhandkrabbe (Eriocheir sinensis H. MILNE-EDWARDS) in Deutschland. Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft GmbH, Leipzig, pp 59–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters N (1938) Ausbreitung und Verbreitung der chinesischen Wollhandkrabbe (Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne-Edw.) in Europa in den Jahren 1933 bis 1935. Neue Untersuchungen über die chinesische Wollhandkrabbe in Europa. Mitteilungen aus dem Hamburger Zoologischen Museum und Institut 47:1–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters N, Panning A (1933) Die chinesische Wollhandkrabbe (Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne-Edwards) in Deutschland. Zoologischer Anzeiger Supplement 104:1–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters N, Panning A, Thiel H, Werner H, Schmalfuß H (1936) Die chinesische Wollhandkrabbe in Europa. Der Fischmarkt 4(5):1–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Pienimäki M, Leppäkoski E (2004) Invasion pressure on the Finnish Lake District: invasion corridors and barriers. Biol Invasions 6:331–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen E (1987) Status over uldhåndskrabbens (Eriocheir sinensis) udbredelse og forekomst i Danmark. Flora och Fauna 93(3):51–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudnick D, Veldhuizen T, Tullis R, Culver C, Hieb K, Tsukimura B (2005) A life history model for the San Francisco Estuary population of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis (Decapoda: Grapsoidea). Biol Invasions 7:333–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Theede H (1969) Einige neue Aspekte bei der Osmoregulation von Carcinus maenas. Marine Biol 2:114–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tendal OS (2001) Den kinesiske uldhåndskrabbes pseudopopulation ved Bornholm. Flora og Fauna 107:6

    Google Scholar 

  • Valovirta I, Eronen R (2000) First record of Eriocheir sinensis from Finnish inland. Memoranda Societas Fauna Flora Fennica 76:23–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Willmer P, Stone G, Johnston I (2000) Environmental physiology of animals. Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford, p 644

    Google Scholar 

  • Zettler ML (1999) Rote Liste der gefährdeten höheren Krebse der Binnengewässer Mecklenburg-Verpommerns, 1. Fassung, Goldschmidt Druck GmbH Schwerin, p 29

  • Zettler ML, Daunys D, Kotta J, Bick A (2002) History and success of an invasion into the Baltic Sea: the polychaete Marenzelleria cf. viridis, development and strategies. In: Leppäkoski E, Gollasch S, Olenin S (eds) Invasive aquatic species of Europe—distribution, impacts and management. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp 66–75

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The following persons are highly acknowledged for their help in gathering findings on Chinese mitten crab: Janis Birzaks, Ole Gorm Norden Andersen, Erik Fladung, Kathe Rose Jensen, Melanie Josefsson, Mart Kangur, Maris Plikshs, Ole Tendal, Maris Vitinsh and Inger Wallentinus. Finnish Natural History Museum is acknowledged for kindly allowing us to use their collections. We also thank Jim Carlton and two anonymous referees for their suggestions to improve the manuscript and Tiia Kaare for language revision. The current study was funded, in part, through a U.S. Government Grant (SEN100-04-GR151). The opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Government. This study was partly supported by the MarBEF Network of Excellence ‘Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning’, which is funded by the Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems Programme of the European Community’s Sixth Framework Programme (contract no. GOCE-CT-2003-505446). This publication is contribution number MPS-06036 of MarBEF. The current work was also supported by the European Commission Sixth Framework Programme Projects ALARM (Assessing LArge scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested Methods, contract no. GOCE-CT-2003-506675), and DAISIE (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe, contract no. GOCE-2004-511202), Estonian governmental fundamental research projects 0182578s03 and 0182579s03, Baltic Sea Research Programme (BIREME) of the Academy of Finland and the World Bank financed Baltic Sea Regional Project (BSRP).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henn Ojaveer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ojaveer, H., Gollasch, S., Jaanus, A. et al. Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis in the Baltic Sea—a supply-side invader?. Biol Invasions 9, 409–418 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-006-9047-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-006-9047-z

Keywords

Navigation