Zebra mussels are thumbnail-sized freshwater mussels with origins in Russia.
Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are small freshwater mussels found across the world. These bivalves are mostly thumbnail-sized and D-shaped, some of which have the stripes that give the species its name. They originated in the lakes of southern Russia and have been spreading around the world by hitchhiking on ships. Although usually considered a menace, zebra mussels actually have some valuable ecological benefits.
History
Zebra mussels originated in the lakes of southern Russia. They spread to Europe and then around the world. They are carried between unconnected waterways in bilge or ballast water or in anchor lockers. Their first American apparance was in the Great Lakes in 1988. In one year, zebra mussels had colonized every submerged surface in Lake Erie. Zebra mussels quickly spread to all the Great Lakes and then to waterways across America.
Features
Zebra mussels have three important features: They have a fantastic ability to filter water; they are prolific reproducers; and they have razor sharp shells that can harm predators. Zebra mussels force out the local filter feeders by filtering out all the nutrients and starving the competition.The females produce 30,000 to 100,000 eggs a year, which they release to the currents. They are fertilized within days and then attach themselves to a solid surface--probably another zebra mussel.
Positive Effects
Zebra mussels are extremely efficient filter feeders. They often clear up the water to such an extent that sunlight penetrates to a greater depth, so that underwater plants flourish and, subsequently, the entire ecosystem flourishes. Zebra mussels are also an excellent source of protein that will become the almost exclusive diet of some predators, such as crayfish and bass.
Negative Effects
Zebra mussels will completely colonize any submerged surface. This includes fresh water intake screens, irrigation pipes, boat cooling systems and the surface of pier pilings. In England, where they have been working around zebra mussels for more than 200 years, factories with underwater pipes build two of each kind of pipe. One set of pipe is used until it becomes clogged with zebra mussels, then operation switches to the other set of pipes while the mussels are removed from the encrusted set of pipes.
Benefits
Zebra mussels are great at cleaning up the environment. Unfortunately, they have the subsequent effect of filling the world with zebra mussels. Recently, it was discovered that zebra mussels will not attach to pipes made of a copper-nickle alloy. With this discovery, zebra mussels might become a valuable ally in the fight to clean up the environment. That is, if there are no attachable surfaces in a lake, the zebra mussels will migrate to the deep water and attach to each other. There, safely out of way, they will reach a sustainable level that keeps the lake clear.
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