Chinese cuisine has adapted to a new food resource that became a persistent problem in China's aquatic ecosystems: crayfish. This invasive species has become a popular food item throughout the country, one YouTuber (@JHKDaily) reported in a YouTube video.

"The freshwater crayfish is an integral part of China's late-night food culture," the YouTuber explained.

According to Chinese aquaculture development researcher Sidney Cheung, the red swamp crayfish, native to Louisiana, had originally been brought to China by Japanese families as pets during the second Sino-Japanese war in the 1930s, according to the South China Morning Post. These crustacean pets were released into China's waters when Japanese families left China after the war ended.

Invasive species, like the invasive crayfish, which have few local natural predators, can disrupt the balance of and wreak havoc on local ecosystems.

In China, the invasive crayfish began to negatively impact aquatic ecosystems, destroying aquatic plants and draining ponds by burrowing holes at the bottom of the pond. In rice paddy farms, crayfish can destroy vegetation and cause water levels to fall too low, affecting crop success.

In an effort to help control the invasive species, China learned to prepare spicy crayfish with Chinese ingredients like Sichuan peppers and spices, which remains a fan favorite snack to this day.

In fact, some Chinese farmers have given up rice farming altogether to pursue crayfish farming as it remains a lucrative business opportunity, indicating how deeply intertwined this invasive species has become with China's modern cuisine.

"Can they really be considered a problem if people eat them?" one Wuhan local said, according to a National Science Foundation report.

Encouraging a new food resource out of an invasive species to control and manage their growth in local habitats can improve food security while reducing the destructive impact on local ecosystems.

Louisianans have been encouraged to eat black carp, a mild-tasting white fish invasive to Louisiana waters, to protect the aquatic food web.

Mississippi residents have also been called on to help manage non-native fish in local ecosystems by eating fish, including nutria and carp.

"That's how you deal with an invasive species," one commenter said under the YouTube video.

"A Chinese hotpot crawfish boil would go hard," another user added.

Surprising food trend sees diners eating fish that have harmed crucial waterways: 'An integral part'