Zebra mussels are now found in 22 states and two canadian provinces see figure 2. Zebra mussels grow up to two inches long, but most are less than one inch. The species was originally native to the lakes of southern russia and ukraine. A tiny animal, it measures three centimetres long or smaller. Quagga and zebra mussels california department of fish and. Nobanis marine invasive species in nordic waters fact. Where quagga and zebra mussels coexist, quagga mussels appear to outcompete zebra mussels, and quagga mussels can colonize to depths greater than those achieved by zebra mussels and are more tolerant of colder water temperatures. Waters pdf uniform minimum protocols and standards for watercraft interception programs pdf. Croix nsr additional data was collected as zebra mussel densities were determined. Zebra mussels look like small, fingernailsized clams. Zebra and quagga mussels are capable of heavily colonizing hard and soft surfaces.
Zebra mussels are in the dreissenidae family, the false mussel and zebra mussel family. Zebra mussels dreissena polymorpha are small, freshwater bivalve mollusks relatives to clams and oysters that are triangular in shape with an obvious ridge between the side and bottom. Although similar in appearance to the quagga mussel, the two species can be easily distinguished. They rapidly became established in the great lakes and the waters draining them. The zebra mussel gets its name from the dark and light stripes on its shell that resembles those on a zebra. This zebra mussels worksheet is suitable for 7th grade. Quaggazebra mussel fact sheet state and federal agencies have initiated a unified response to the quagga mussel invasion in california.
Or, to display all related content view all resources for zebra mussel. Byssal threads or ropes are on the hinge edge of its shell. They will also know that the hudson river food web is changing in response to the zebra mussel invasion, and will be able to make predictions about how native organisms will be affected by this invasion. The spread of these freshwater mussels threatens recreational boating and fishing, aquatic ecosystems and fisheries, water delivery systems, hydroelectric facilities, agriculture and the environment in general. The invasive mussel collaborative announced today that it has released a new strategy to reduce invasive mussels and their negative impacts. During the summer of 1993, the zebra mussel was discovered in lake champlain, vermont. The involved agencies include the california departments of fish and wildlife cdfw, water resources, food and agriculturecdfa, division of boating and waterways, parks and recreation, cal fire, caltrans. Org zebra mussels secrete durable elastic strands called byssal fibers, which can glue the mussel to hard objects.
Zebra mussels are small freshwater mussels that are not native to minnesota. Dreissena polymorpha, photo by jonne kotta, source. Shell size rarely exceeds 4 cm but 5 cm is possible. In the mid1980s a new species found its way to north america. Zebra mussels have an extremely high reproductive rate of 30,0001,000,000. Zebra mussel shells are triangular or triagonal with a sharply pointed shell hinge end. Nobanis marine invasive species in nordic waters fact sheet rapana venosa author of this species fact sheet. The zebra mussel can reproduce in less than a year, and a single female can release 1. Zebra mussels cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Both species were believed to have been introduced in the late 1980s by ballast water from transoceanic ships carrying veligers larvae, juveniles or adult mussels. In addition, use of the protocols for monitoring in 1991. They proliferate quickly and adhere in great numbers to virtually any surface. View all teaching resources use the filter to limit your results.
The zebra mussel, a black and white striped clamlike animal is spreading from the great lakes region and could invade new brunswick. Zebra mussels were confirmed to be present in pueblo reservoir in. From its native origin, the species has spread to the point where the zebra mussel now affects the waters of most of europe. Unlike native mussels, they can attach themselves to hard surfaces in the. Quaggazebra mussel fact sheet state and federal agencies have initiated a unified response to the quagga zebra mussel invasion in california. Copper and zebra mussels minnesota department of natural resources 101011 the minnesota department of natural resources dnr is planning on chemically treating a small area of rose lake in otter tail county in the hopes of eradicating a small number of zebra mussels that were recently introduced to the lake. Zebra mussel fact sheet cary institute of ecosystem studies. The closest is cedar bluff reservoir which is only 150 miles from our border in kansas. Geological survey usgs zebra mussel monitoring program for north texas provides early detection and monitoring of zebra mussels dreissena polymorpha by using a holistic suite of detection methods. Because lake winnipeg is so unique, the impacts of zebra mussel on the ecosystem, including the fisheries, will require careful monitoring. Like other mussels, dreissenids have a freefloating planktonic veliger life stage. The voracious mussels disrupt food webs by wiping out phytoplankton, and their massive clustering on waterintake valves and. Utahs efforts to stop invasive mussels status report for 2011 during the 2008 legislative session, utah lawmakers learned about a significant threat to the states water supplies, irrigation systems, hydroelectric plants, recreation areas and aquatic wildlife. Zebra mussels can cause tremendous environmental and economic damage hurting aquatic life, damaging your boat, hindering water recreation and even threatening your water supply.
Standard protocols for monitoring and sampling zebra mussels. They are typically found attached to objects, surfaces, or each other by threads underneath the shells. Numbers have been reported in excess of 75,000 per square foot. They are typically two inches or less roughly the size of a pistachio nut in size and have a life span of four to eight years.
The zebra mussels reproductive system is unique to freshwater mussels. It is shaped and striped something like the zebra mussel, but it is more rounded and less angular and is usually paler near the hinge. Photo courtesy of pennsylvania sea grant monitoring for invasive mussels zebra mussels and quagga mussels can compete with native mussels for food and space, disrupting aquatic food chains, and clogging utility pipes and industrial water intakes. Students will know what lives in the hudson river, and will be able to create a food web drawing to represent the organisms living in the river. An unwelcome north american invader cr oneill, db macneill. Zebra mussels potentially pose a multibillion dollar threat to industrial and public water supplies. Clair in 1988 by the release of ballast water from a transoceanic vessel mackie et al. It is currently causing problems in the great lakes and is starting to be seen in missouri. Mussel they sometimes also live in intertidal areas along coastlines worldwide. The quagga mussel was introduced via ship ballast water to the great lakes in the 1980s, and has similar impacts as the zebra.
It is similar in appearance and biology to the zebra mussel, but can live in deeper and colder waters. Students read about the negative effects and some positive results and then answer several questions about the passage. Oregon department of fish and wildlife frequently asked questions destructive quagga and zebra mussels threaten oregon feb. The freshwater mussels several allied families, the largest being the unionidae and saltwater mussels family mytilidae are not closely related, despite the fact that they may look similar. They answer 8 short answer questions about it after reading the provided information. Zebra mussel infestations also threaten native mussel populations by attaching to the shells of these species and smothering them. Invasive mollusk impacts, graphing and interpreting zebra mussel data. Dreissena polymorpha zebra mussels are in the dreissenidae family, the false mussel and zebra mussel family. It, or particular subspecies of it, have also been known as the common zebra, the dauw, burchells zebra actually the extinct. The dshaped shells have alternating light and dark bands, and the inside of the shell is white. Aquatic nuisance species coordinator, division of fisheries region 2, department of biology, university of texas, arlington, texas zebra mussels dreissena polymorpha are prolific invaders that. Females produce 100,000 to one million eggs per year which. Teacher lesson plans, worksheets and resources sign up for the lesson planet.
Mussel qu gg mussel zebra mussel occurrences quagga mussel occurrences both species. If you spot a suspected zebra mussel, freeze it in a plastic bag or preserve it in a small bottle of rubbing. Since the 1980s, they have invaded the great lakes and the hudson river. Once established in lakes, ponds and other freshwater environments, these nonnative species can. Quagga and zebra dreissenid mussels pose a serious threat to californias waters and fisheries. Zm fact sheet iowa department of natural resources. Questions and answers about pilot projects to control. Discovered after the zebra mussel, the quagga mussel gets. These included asian clams corbicula fluminea, any species of snails and dead mussels or their shells. Zebra mussel national invasive species information center usda. Zebra mussel dreissena polymorpha invasive species.
Adults range from 14 to 112 inches long and have yellow and brown striped shells. Jul 19, 2019 now, if we grabbed any great lakes native off the street and asked which great lakes invasive species is the densest and most dangerous, we can guarantee that at least 8 out of 10 would say the zebra mussel. Until 2016, neither zebra nor quagga mussels had been detected in montana waters. To determine why these changes were occurring, the research team hypothesized that increased predation on zebra mussels by crabs and other species may be the reason for this reversal. Zebra mussel, a species of tiny mussels genus dreissena that are prominent freshwater pests.
A close relative to the zebra mussel is the quagga mussel dreissena bugensis, which is also native to eurasia. The plains zebra equus quagga, formerly equus burchelli is the most common, and has or had about five subspecies distributed across much of southern and eastern africa. Zebra mussel iowa aquatic invasive species dreissena polymorpha fact sheet zebra mussel fact sheet description. Find zebra mussels lesson plans and teaching resources. A highly prolific invasive species, it has caused widespread property damage, has displaced endemic bivalve species, and is generally considered a pest. Zebra mussels are small, thumbnailsize, dshaped mussels, with a zebra like pattern of stripes, that are native to the caspian sea region of asia. In this ecology worksheet, students study a fact sheet on invasive mussels. Natively the zebra mussel inhabits parts of western russia near the caspian sea and the ural river. Invasion of mussels from outofstate waters continues to be a threat, and will likely increase.
Zebra mussels have also led to dramatic losses to native mussel populations. The program is designed to assess zebra mussel occurrence, distribution, and densities in north texas waters by using four approaches. Zebra mussels worksheet for 7th grade lesson planet. Zebra mussels and a related species, quagga mussels, are highly invasive mollusks native to the caspian sea region of europe and asia. The adults are slightly larger than the zebra mussels. The zebra mussel gets its name from the black or dark brown and white striped markings that. For some topics, it was very easy to find information and other parts were very complicated.
The ecological impacts of zebra mussels can be severe. The rapid spread has been aided by both human interaction and their unique ecology timar and phaneuf 2009. Quagga and zebra mussels quagga and zebra mussels arrived in the united states from europe in the 1980s and spread to many eastern waterways, rivers, and lakes. In 1998, the mussel was found in east twin lake, connecticut. Zebra mussels what are zebra mussels and where do they come from. Zebra mussels reached north america in the mid1980s in the ballast water of a ship. The involved agencies include the departments of fish and game dfg, water resources, food and agriculture, boating and waterways, parks and recreation. Since then, zebra mussels have spread rapidly throughout the great lakes and. Zebra mussels were introduced into the great lakes, likely from ballast water from oceangoing vessels, in the mid 1980s. Zebra mussels are a type of mollusk, which also include a wide variety of organisms such as squids, octopuses, snails, oysters, scallops, and clams.
Quagga mussels are a more typical clam shape and have thinner shells. Several researchers will be conducting comparisons of different sampling methods during the 1991 field season. A zebra mussel starts its life as newly hatched larvae called veligers. Attention boaters zebra mussels and eurasian water milfoil are aquatic nuisance species that may be accidentally spread by watercraft users. In this zebra mussels worksheet, 7th graders read an article about zebra mussel populations in united states lakes and rivers. Color patterns could vary, having only dark or colored shells or no stripes. Pdf impacts of zebra mussels on aquatic communities and. Zebra mussel national invasive species information center.
Zebra mussel more information illinoisindiana sea grant. Both mussel species can attach to hard surfaces in the water of lakes and rivers, and quagga mussels also attach to soft surfaces. The results of the clam, snail and shell enumeration can be found in the appendix fig. There were a lot of websites about my species but they all had the same thing. This does not inclued costs associated with environmental damages or increased operating expenses to hatcheries and water diversions. Zebra mussels are d shaped and have a thicker shell. Zebra mussel prevention policy the missouri department of conservation will work to prevent the spread of zebra mussels from infested waters to uninfested waters. Zebra mussels united states army corps of engineers. The involved agencies include the departments of fish and game dfg, water resources, food and agriculture, boating. Of the hundreds of invasive species that plague our world, students tend to research three main invasives that are found in ohio.
Zebra mussels are a small, destructive invasive freshwater mussel that can be transported from waterway to waterway by boats and trailers. Researching the zebra mussel was, well, interesting. The zebra mussel is a small shellfish named for the striped pattern of its shell. Bureau of reclamation managing water and power in the west. Almost all states to the east of colorado have a zebra or quagga mussel infestation.
They came to north american waters in international shipping ballast water and were discovered in lake st. Zebra mussels have an extremely high reproductive rate of 30,0001,000,000 new mussels per year and are able to reproduce at one year of age. In denmark, zebra mussels were first recorded in 1843 within a channel that was located in copenhagen. Zebra and quagga mussels ontarios invading species. The zebra mussel dreissena polymorpha, a small, clamlike mollusk that grows to about 25 cm as an adult, was introduced into the waters of the great lakes, probably carried in the bilge of a russian freighter. The involved agencies include the departments of fish and game dfg, water resources, food and agriculture, boating and waterways, parks and recreation, cal fire, caltrans, state water resources. Zebra mussel the zebra mussel gets its name from the dark and light stripes on its shell that resembles those on a zebra. Zebra and quagga mussels are freshwater bivalves native to the black sea region of eurasia. Aquatic invasive species zebra mussel fact sheet author. Quagga mussel shell is normally striped, as is that of the zebra mussel. The zebra mussel dreissena polymorpha is a small bivalve originally native to the caspian sea region.
Zebra mussels in north america, the invasion and its implications. During the summer of 2009, the zebra mussel was identified in a pond in the berkshire region of massachusetts. Zebra mussels were likely first introduced into lake st. First spotted in maryland during november 2008 upstream from the conowingo dam, dnr. Zebra and quagga mussels have a dark and white zebra like. Zebra mussels are small shellfish marked by alternating light and dark bands. The general rule is to expect a 90 per cent loss of native mussel populations within 10 years of zebra mussel arrival.
Quaggazebra mussel fact sheet state and federal agencies have initiated a unified response to the quaggazebra mussel invasion in california. Zebra mussels can smother native mussels and crayfish by accumulating on the shells. The mussel has expanded to infest many lake and river systems of north america since then. The strategy to advance management of invasive zebra and quagga mussels is intended to drive investments, policy, and research around invasive mussels across the great lakes region and beyond.
Nobanis invasive alien species fact sheet dreissena polymorpha. The zebra mussels is native to the black, caspian, and azov seas. Hot on the heels of the famous zebra, quagga mussels were first found in 1989 along lake erie. Zebra mussels are a small, destructive invasive species that can spread across texas by hitching a ride on boats and trailers. However, color patterns can vary to the point of having only dark or light colored shells with no stripes. Many native mussel populations that share waters with zebra mussels have decreased to the point of being threatened or endangered. Zebra mussels are small freshwater mussels that are not native to. The different stages of the zebra mussels life cycle can be viewed on the adaptation page. This aquatic hitchhiker, along with other exotic animals and plants, can cause signi. Afterwards, it spread into the local lakes, and to lake fure 1915, lakes esrum 192223, and also within the river susaa system situated on the island of zealand 1939. However, the zebra mussel has been accidentally introduced to numerous other areas and has become an invasive species in many countries worldwide. This mussel is typically found attached to objects, surfaces, or other mussels by threads extending from underneath the shells.
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