Quagga mussel

species of mollusc

The Quagga mussel is a freshwater mussel. Originally it occurred in the drainage basin of the Dnieper river, mostly in Ukraine. The mussel is named after the Quagga, an extinct species of zebra. The mussels live for three to five years. Since about the 1940s, they have spread a lot outside their original range. They are considered an invasive species in most of Europe, and North America. It looks like certain species of perch have developed an appetite for thes mussels. They are now considered as a natural form of pest control.

Quagga mussel
One valve of Dreissena bugensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Myida
Superfamily: Dreissenoidea
Family: Dreissenidae
Genus: Dreissena
Species:
D. bugensis
Binomial name
Dreissena bugensis
Synonyms

Dreissena rostriformis bugensis

References change

  1. Rosenberg, G.; Huber, M. (2015). Dreissena bugensis Andrusov, 1897. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=505319 on 2015-04-08.