It is native to rivers, estuaries and other coastal habitats of East Asia from Korea in the north to Fujian, China in the south.

Chinese mitten crabs spend most of their life in fresh water and return to the sea to breed.

After development as larvae, the juvenile crabs gradually move upstream into fresh water, thus completing the life cycle.

[6] An increase in microplastics has had a significant impact on the population as it affects their metabolism, growth, and oxidative stress response in the liver.

In the Yangtze, the largest river in its native range, Chinese mitten crabs have been recorded up to 1,400 km (760 nmi) upstream.

Their main prey consists of worms, mussels, snails, dead organic material, and other small crustaceans and fish.

In late August, sexual instincts awaken and they begin migrating downstream to the sea, away from their feeding grounds.

[11] Different life stages of the mitten crab: This certain species of crab has been spreading rapidly from Asia (China and Korea) to North America and Europe, raising concerns that it competes with local species, and its burrowing nature damages embankments and clogs drainage systems.

It was reported in 1995 that residents of Greenwich saw Chinese mitten crabs coming out of the River Thames, and in 2014 one was found in the Clyde, in Scotland.

[18] The Chinese mitten crab has been introduced into the Great Lakes several times but has not yet been able to establish a permanent population.

People are encouraged to report any mitten crab sightings, along with details (date, specific location, size) and a close-up photograph or specimen if possible.

These crabs migrated from China to Europe as early as 1900 and were first documented by official German reports in 1912 from Aller River.

After an investigation by German scientists in 1933, it was thought that the crabs migrated to Europe through ballast water in commercial ships.

[22] The crab meat is believed by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to have a "cooling" (yin) effect on the body.

One proposed scheme involves importing unwanted crabs from Europe, where they are seen as a pest, to replenish local pure-bred stock.

Mitten crabs have exhibited a remarkable ability to survive in highly modified aquatic habitats, including polluted waters.

Technology has been implemented to identify fake hairy crabs, such as laser tags, prints, and barcodes, but these are easily forged.

All the following efforts were attempted but showed little improvement: "catch as many as you can", migration barriers, trapping, raising awareness, electrical screens, and pulses.