Quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis)

Invasive?

The quagga mussel is apparently displacing the zebra mussel (D. polymorpha), which was introduced more than 100 years ago and is found almost everywhere. It is spreading further and further south via large rivers and canals.

Where?

With the help of its adhesive foot, it can attach itself to stones, concrete walls or ship hulls. It owes its rapid spread to its dispersal mechanism via the free larvae, which only attach themselves to a substrate after about over a week.

Appearance?

The colors are very different, the has a beige to dark brown shell and is often clear longitudinally striped. The quagga mussel is recognizable by rounded shell sides. The shell sides are also asymmetrical, if you look at the shell from the side they are wavy and not flat on top of each other as in the native triangular mussel.