The zebra mussel gets its name from the black (or dark brown) and white striped markings that appear on its shell. Potential threat. Zebra and quagga mussels are freshwater bivalves native to the Black Sea region of Eurasia. Zebra and Quagga Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha & begensis) are two of Ontario's most unwanted invasive species.Both Zebra and quagga mussels are native to the Black Sea in Eurasia and were introduced to Ontario in the late 1980s via ship ballast.
Zebra mussels are voracious filter-feeding organisms. Zebra mussels are freshwater mussels measuring around 2.5 centimetres long on average, but can grow up to four centimetres.
The Strategy to Advance Management of Invasive Zebra and Quagga Mussels is intended to drive investments, policy, and research around invasive mussels across the Great Lakes region and beyond.
Where introduced, zebra mussels threaten native fish and wildlife by consuming available food and smothering native species. The Strategy to Advance Management of Invasive Zebra and Quagga Mussels is intended to drive investments, policy, and research around invasive mussels across the Great Lakes region and beyond. Species such as the zebra mussel, quagga mussel, round goby, sea lamprey, and alewife reproduce and spread, ultimately degrading habitat, out-competing native species, and short-circuiting food webs. Zebra mussels (dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (dreissena bugenis) What Are They? Invasive Species - (Dreissena polymorpha) Restricted in Michigan Zebra mussels have shells that are triangular in shape and can sit flat on the ventral side (unlike quagga mussels which have more rounded shells and cannot sit flat).
Zebra and Quagga Mussels. The Invasive Mussel Collaborative announced today that it has released a new strategy to reduce invasive mussels and their negative impacts. The Situation: Quagga and zebra mussels are aquatic invasive species that are native to eastern Europe.The quagga mussel originated from Dnieper River drainage of Ukraine. Zebra mussel.
Their preferred habitats include the calm waters upstream of dams. Their name comes from the dark, zig-zagged stripes on each shell.Zebra mussels probably arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1980s via ballast water that was discharged by large ships from Europe. Latin name Dreissena polymorpha. They are an invasive species that has spread from their native Black Sea region of eastern Europe and western Asia waters to Canada. Zebra mussels are an invasive, fingernail-sized mollusk that is native to fresh waters in Eurasia. 2008 - Columbia River Basin Interagency Invasive Species Response Plan: Zebra Mussels and Other Dreissenid Species; 2007 - Quagga/Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention and Response Planning Guide by the National Parks Service (PDF) Decontamination, Cleaning & Surveying Protocols. The zebra mussel was first described from the lakes of southeast Russia and its natural distribution also … Adults range from 1/4 to 1-1/2 inches long and have yellow and brown striped shells. Zebra mussels and a related species, quagga mussels, are fingernail-sized, black-and-white striped bivalve mollusks native to the Caspian Sea region of Asia. Are They Here Yet? The prominent dark and light banding pattern on the shell is the most obvious characteristic.
Background. Zebra mussels are currently causing serious problems in North America and Sweden, where they are considered an invasive species. The material below explains the possible effects and what people can do to avoid spreading this invasive species to uninfested areas. They are most abundant on hard, particularly rocky surfaces. The Invasive Mussel Collaborative announced today that it has released a new strategy to reduce invasive mussels and their negative impacts. Origin Dreissena polymorpha or Zebra mussel is native to Eurasia, specifically the drainage basins of the Black, Caspian, Aral and Azov seas. It has a small triangular shell with a sharply pointed umbo (hinge end). Zebra mussels are now present in Sweden, Finland, France, the former USSR, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Spain and North America.