3D-Model representation

“Zebra Mussel” (Dreissena polymorpha)

Zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, are small, fingernail-sized, freshwater mollusks accidentally introduced to North America via ballast water from a transoceanic vessel. Since their introduction in the mid 1980s, they have spread rapidly to all of the Great Lakes and an increasing number of inland waterways in the United States and Canada. Zebra mussels colonize on surfaces, such as docks, boat hulls, commercial fishing nets, water intake pipes and valves, native mollusks and other zebra mussels. Their only known predators, some diving ducks, freshwater drum, carp, and sturgeon, are not numerous enough to have a significant effect on them. Zebra mussels have impacted the Great Lakes ecosystem and economy greatly. 

For More Information Visit 
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - Zebra Mussel Page | USGS Zebra Mussel Distribution - Current
Keywords: Zebra Mussel

Sources: Zebra Mussels in the Great Lakes; 1992. Great Lakes Sea Grant Network
Slide: Close-up of Zebra Mussel. Ohio Sea Grant (on NIS site)