Zebra mussel
Dreissena polymorpha
The zebra mussel is a small freshwater mussel. This species was originally native to the lakes of southern Russia being first described in 1769 by a German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in the Ural, Volga and Dnieper rivers. They are still found nearby, as Pontic and Caspian species. However, it has been accidentally introduced in many other areas, and has become an invasive species in many different countries worldwide.
Zebra mussels get their name from a striped pattern which is commonly seen on their shells, though it is not universally present. They are usually about the size of a fingernail, but can grow to a maximum length of nearly 2 in. Shells are D-shaped, and attached to the substrate with strong byssal threads, which come out of their umbo on the dorsal side.
Zebra mussels get their name from a striped pattern which is commonly seen on their shells, though it is not universally present. They are usually about the size of a fingernail, but can grow to a maximum length of nearly 2 in. Shells are D-shaped, and attached to the substrate with strong byssal threads, which come out of their umbo on the dorsal side.