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Eriocheir sinensis - Chinese mitten crab

Current distribution Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (332 OBIS-datapoints, 21319 GBIF-datapoints)
Since 1933, this species of crab with woolly claws has been present in Belgium. This crab originates from the Far East and was probably brought to Europe as a larva in the ballast water of ships. From Germany, the species has spread through Northern and Western Europe. The Chinese mitten crab lives mainly in rivers but migrates in late summer to breed in the brackish water of estuaries. The females spend the winter in the sea and return in spring to the brackish part of estuaries to release their larvae into the water, which can then develop into juvenile crabs. Later, they migrate gradually up the rivers and canals, where they complete their life cycle.