Invasive Species: Red Swamp Cray Fish

While everyone was enjoying Thanksgiving and Black Friday, five 6th grade kids from Novi Community Schools were researching on an invasive species.

Srujan Kuruba, Sahasra Gangireddy, Shivaji Raj, Prarthana Chavarkar and Navneeth Rao are part of a First Lego League(FLL) team, Robochamps. They are researching about Red Swamp Crayfish and its effects on water resources within the human water cycle.

Red Swamp Crayfish

Red swamp crayfish is an aquatic invasive species. They live in a variety of freshwater habitats. They big dig holes of about 4 inches in diameter and 2-3 feet in depth. These holes catch storm runoff and might lead to problems like flooding, water contamination, and algae bloom. Also MI has 2,000+ dams mostly earthen. If crayfish catches such dams, the dams will collapse and no longer hold water.
RSCF alters food web.This disturbs local ecosystems. It eats everything - vegetation, insects, snails, baby fish, fish eggs and other craw fish. There are cases where crawfish ate all the aquatic plants in a lake, turning the water nasty and turbid.
Its reproduction capacity is high. A female craw fish can lay up to 500 eggs, thrice a year.
All crayfish can live out of water for a while, but these crayfish can walk upto 3 KM over land to find new habitats.

HOW DO THEY LOOK ?

• Dark red color with bright red raised spots, look like small lobsters
• Elongated claws and head
• An adult can grow from 2 inches to 5 inches in length
• A thin gray stripe on the bottom of its tail

HOW TO HELP?

• Follow clean, dry and drain routine before and after boating and fishing.
• If found, report it to: Seth Herbst, DNR Fisheries Division, Email:herbsts1@michigan.gov Ph: (517) 284-5841.
• Or report to a Local DNR.
• You could also use the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network’s (MISIN) online reporting tool: http://www.misin.msu.edu/report/misin/?project=misin

So next time you're by a lake and you see holes, you know what to do.