Quagga Mussel

The Quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) is native to the Dneiper River drainage of Ukraine and is thought to have arrived in the U.S. in ballast water from a cargo ship in 1986. The Quagga mussel alters the food web by filtering water and removing plankton which reduces food for native populations of  alewives, salmon, whitefish and native mussel species.  The mussels also ruin beaches and attach to boats, water intake pipes.  They promote water clarity by filter feeding which allows sunlight to penetrate to the lake bottom, creating ideal conditions for dangerous algae blooms.

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Resources

Quagga Mussel Ecology - an article on the review of the biology and ecology of the quagga mussel.

Quagga Mussel Fact Sheet from the US Geologic Survey Nonindigenous Aquatic Species website covers identification, nonindigenous occurrences, ecology, impact, and management of the species. 

Quagga Mussel Species Profile from the USDA National Invasive Species Information Center provides a brief profile on the species.

Invasive Mussels from the National Wildlife Federation covers reproduction, diet, prevention, and control of invasive mussels.

Last updated September 21, 2023