Invasive Chinese mitten crab — capable of climbing over 13-foot-high structures — spotted in Pacific Northwest

A highly invasive species of crab — capable of climbing over 13-foot-high concrete structures — has been spotted in the Pacific Northwest for the first time, wildlife officials said.

A commercial fisherman caught what officials identified as a Chinese mitten crab last week in the Lower Columbia River, just south of the Washington state border, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which released a photo of the crab.

"Chinese mitten crabs have not been confirmed in the Pacific Northwest until now," the department said in a news release Thursday.