How is the rusty crayfish affecting our local environment?
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Rusty crayfish have a severe impact over time on the area where they have been introduced. They compete with other crayfish for survival, overfish the prey that other animals depend on, and destroy aquatic plant beds. These crayfish are larger and more aggressive than native crayfish that live in the same area, causing advantages over native crayfish in food competition and being preyed on. They have larger appetites to fill and eat much more than a crayfish in that area typically would.
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Where is evidence of the impact of the rusty crayfish?
There is overwhelming evidence of the impact of rusty crayfish. The largest impact of rusty crayfish is in Wisconsin. In Lake Metonga, rusty crayfish caused walleye populations to drop significantly. Fish like bluegill in competition with rusty crayfish for food also become endangered in a certain area. In Wisconsin and Minnesota lakes, people have reportedly stopped swimming due to the fact that rusty crayfish had invaded and were a danger while swimming since they are very aggressive compared to other crayfish. Reduced food supplies for fish have caused bluegill, bass, an northern pike populations in the Midwest to sharply decline, which further disrupts the food chain. Aquatic plants have experienced dangerous declines as rusty crayfish constantly attack them. These aquatic plants play a very large part in the ecosystems where they live.
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List of impacts of rusty crayfish
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