Invertebrates
Quagga Mussel
Dreissena rostriformis bugensis
On the cold floor of a Great Lake, a carpet of striped quagga mussels covers the bottom, filtering the water that was once clouded with plankton.
Overview
The quagga mussel, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, is a small, striped mussel native to the Dnieper River region that has become a major invader of the Great Lakes and western Europe. Its filtering, spread in ballast water, and ability to live in cold, deep water make it one of the most disruptive freshwater invaders.
A mussel that outcompetes its cousin
In many places the quagga mussel has replaced the zebra mussel, which it can outcompete in deeper and colder water.
Status
Not Evaluated, and invasive in the Great Lakes and Europe.
Quagga Mussel: common questions
How is a quagga mussel different from a zebra mussel?
The quagga has a rounder shell and can live in deeper and colder water, whereas the zebra mussel has a more triangular shell.
How did it reach North America?
It reached the Great Lakes in the late 1980s, probably in ships' ballast water.
Why is it a problem?
It carpets the bottom, changes the food web, and clogs water intake pipes and fouls boats and structures.
Where is the quagga mussel native?
It is native to the Dnieper River drainage of Ukraine and the Black Sea region.