Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Specy

Zebra Mussel

Mollusks

The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is a small freshwater bivalve native to lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine, named for the dark, zigzag striping typical of its shell. It has spread widely beyond its native range, including a major invasion of the North American Great Lakes first detected in the late 1980s, where dense colonies clog water intake pipes and outcompete native mussel species.

Facts
Classification
System (Realm)
Freshwater 2
Relationship to People
Invasive or Introduced Species 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill).
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Shells are D-shaped, attached to the substrate with strong byssal fibres from the umbo 1
Scientific Name
Dreissena polymorpha 1
Conservation Status
Least Concern 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Bivalvia, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Zebra Mussel
In the Other Atlases
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Albania, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Argentina, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Austria, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Azerbaijan, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Belarus, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Belgium, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Bosnia and Herzegovina, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Bulgaria, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Canada, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: China, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Czechia, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Denmark, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Egypt, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Estonia, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Germany, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Italy, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: North America, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Spain, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Sweden, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Switzerland, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: United Kingdom, found in there.
Sources
1. Zebra mussel (Wikipedia)
  • Introduction
    Dreissena polymorpha
  • Introduction, third sentence
    Their shells are D-shaped, and attached to the substrate with strong byssal fibres
  • Wikidata claim, IUCN conservation status (P141)
    least concern
  • has become an invasive species in many countries...among the world's most invasive aquatic species
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
Wikidata: Zebra Mussel
  • Wikidata Q752130, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Child Taxon Of: Bivalvia, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.