Zebra mussels
Dreissena polymorpha
Found in Koronis Lake around 2022, Zebra Mussels are an invasive, small, fresh-water mussel. They can be quite sharp and pose a risk to recreational activites.
Summarized Information
Found in...
shallow, relatively calm areas of lakes and rivers across a variety of trophic ranges. It favors waters with a high pH and hardness.
Identified by...
its hinge at the point of their triangle shells, alternating dark and light stripes, tan, green, or brown coloration, flattened edge, and small size.
Impacts...
native species, the environment, and human recreation. Native mussels struggle to feed or move because Zebra Mussels form dense colonies over them. Each adult mussel can filter a liter of water a day, which removes plankton from the water column and takes food away from native species and increases water quality so that plants can grow at greater depths. Their dense growth can clog intake pipes as well as recreational equipment.
Identification
