ALEXANDRIA, Minn. – State wildlife experts hope they have caught an invasion of a dreaded species of crayfish in time. Two signal crayfish were discovered in Lake Winna near Alexandria in western Minnesota. No, it’s a different Lake Winona. There are two. A commercial harvester contacted the state Natural Resources department aftert rapping two signal crayfish. The agency then found eight others in the lake and in two connected lakes. One ofh 10 was an adult female, but there was no evidence of reproduction, the agency said. No eggs or juveniles were found. Signal crayfish more aggressive than native Minnesota crayfish. The fear is that they could outcompete native species for food and habitat. They can crawl over land at night and during wet weather.
Signal crayfish. Bluish-brown to reddish-brown with patches near the hinges of their claws that resemble a signal flag. At 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches they are larger native crayfish.