Scientifically named Eriocheir sinensis, Chinese mitten crabs are called river crabs in northern China and dazha crabs in the south. Classified under Arthropoda, Crustacea, Decapoda, Pleocyemata, Brachyura, Grapsidae and Eriocheir, they are China’s most productive freshwater crab species.

Yingkou’s mitten crabs follow a unique growth cycle: they hatch in seawater and mature in freshwater. Bordering Liaodong Bay of the Bohai Sea, the region provides vast seawater habitats for crab spawning, while inland abundant freshwater and lush aquatic vegetation support their growth to maturity. A higher crustacean species, Yingkou mitten crabs taxonomically belong to Arthropoda, Crustacea, Decapoda, Pleocyemata, Brachyura, Grapsidae, Varuninae and Eriocheir, originally native to Panjin City, Liaoning Province.