The Red swamp crayfish is an invasive species, now confirmed in Ontario. Procambarus clarkii is a highly adaptable and aggressive invasive species native to the southeastern United States, particularly the Gulf Coast region from Florida to Mexico and the Mississippi River.
The “freshwater lobsters” are regulated as a prohibited invasive species under the Invasive Species Act, 2015, making it illegal to import, deposit, release, transport, breed, buy, sell, or trade them. The red swamp crayfish can withstand a wide range of oxygen levels, temperature, pollution, and pH. Crayfish reduce the density of aquatic plants and decrease critical habitats. They are an over-consuming preditor of species like small fish, molluscs, and amphibians, as well as eggs and larvae.
Females can carry between 100 and 500 fertilized eggs under their tails, allowing them to quickly establish their dominance in new ecosystems.
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