A troubling discovery in Texas is prompting aquatic biologists to warn of an invasive species nearly 8,000 miles from home as noted by Forbes. The Australian redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus), notorious for both its high reproductive rate and robust size, has been identified in the Rio Grande Valley’s wetlands and resacas near Brownsville.
Native to Australia and Papua New Guinea, the redclaw crayfish is a tenacious invader that can outcompete local species. Its presence poses a potential threat to native crayfish and other aquatic fauna, as it may prey on smaller species and alter habitat dynamics. Experts warn that even a small, established population could disrupt the delicate ecological balance of the region
Texas Parks and Wildlife officials highly considered that the root of the problem occurred due to aquarium dumping or accidentally by pet owners. “It’s not supposed to be in Texas. It’s from Australia,” noted one state biologist during a recent segment of KHOU-11’s article.
This statement clarifies the broader risk that holds a non-native species introduced through human activity, which, unfortunately, occurs repeatedly.
Latest research’s main focus is tracing the spread of the invaders making possible the measuring of their impact on native environments. While early studies of observations show numbers are still low, researchers claim that early discovery and citizen observations are critical in managing the potential for expansion.
