The killer crustacean attaches itself to the bottom of inflatables used by anglers in open water and is transported to new waters, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reports.
It attacks insect larvae, baby fish and native shrimp, upsetting the food chain. It often kills its prey but leaves it uneaten, the report added.
British environmental authorities have launched a campaign to warn the nation’s anglers to clean equipment to prevent its spread.
The shrimp, which has the scientific name Dikerogammarus villous, grows up to one inch long and was first found in the UK in September 2010.
A water company in the north west of England has banned floating tubes in its reservoirs, a company official said.
“Because of what they eat and the rate that they eat it, the shrimp can alter the food chain and our ecosystem, threatening native species,” said the official. “To prevent the shrimp from entering our recreational reservoirs, we are today confirming the ban on the use of floating tubes.”