The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ Emporia Research and Survey Office will be the collection point for a new investigation effort involving invasive crayfish.
Wildlife and Parks recently funded a university project focusing on monitoring both native and invasive crayfish, also known as crawdads. Shortly after beginning the process, Rusty Crayfish were discovered at McPherson State Fishing Lake — the first time this version of crayfish has been found in Kansas.
Rusty Crayfish are known for “considerable ecological damage,” according to Wildlife and Parks. They are aggressive, attacking the feet of unsuspecting people and animals, and they eventually outcompete native fish and crayfish for food.
Wildlife and Parks Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator Chris Steffen says the most likely cause of Rusty Crayfish is its use as bait, so it’s important — as is the case with another invasive species, zebra mussels — to drain all water from boats, livewells and bilges before leaving bodies of water and never move bait from one area to another.
Rusty Crayfish have large, black-tipped claws and rust-colored spots on the upper shell. If you find one, freeze it in a sealed plastic bag, note the date and location of capture, and call the Emporia office at 620-342-0658.
