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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
Diet
Filter Feeder 1
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.
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G5 Secure 3
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
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 Biome

Freshwater, Biomes
Source Zebra mussel (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem

Caspian Sea, Ecosystems
Source Zebra mussel (Wikipedia)
Great Lakes, Ecosystems
Source Zebra mussel (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Albania

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Argentina

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Austria

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Azerbaijan

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Belarus

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Belgium

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Bulgaria

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Canada

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

China

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Czechia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Denmark

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Egypt

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Estonia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Germany

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Italy

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

North America

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Spain

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sweden

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Switzerland

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

United Kingdom

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

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
  • Infobox: status
    LC
  • has become an invasive species in many countries...among the world's most invasive aquatic species
  • article text (diet), EntityId 312570
    Right and left valve of the same specimen: Dreissena polymorpha 01.jpg|Right valve Dreissena polymorpha 02.jpg|Left valve for scale Zebra mussels and the closely related and ecologically similar quagga mussels are filter-feeding
  • In Biome: Freshwater, Lead section
    The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is a small freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusc in the family Dreissenidae.
  • In Ecosystem: Great Lakes, Lead
    Since the 1980s, the species has invaded the Great Lakes, Hudson River, Lake Travis, Finger Lakes, Lake Bonaparte, and Lake Simcoe.
  • In Ecosystem: Caspian Sea, Europe
    The native distribution of the species is in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea in Eurasia.
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
3. NatureServe Explorer: Dreissena polymorpha
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G5"
View the Source
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Dreissena polymorpha (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
Quote, Conservation Status: CITES
CITES No special status
View 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
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