Identification: The zebra mussel is a small shellfish named for the striped pattern of its shell. However, color patterns can vary to the point of having only dark or light colored shells with no stripes. This mussel is typically found attached to objects, surfaces, or other mussels by threads extending from underneath the shells.
Although similar in appearance to the quagga mussel (Dreissena. Identification: Average length of a zebra mussel is about 1 inch. Zebra shells are triangular in shape and can sit flat on the ventral side.
Colors vary - shell color ranges from almost white to tan or brown in both species, usually have darker concentric rings but are not always pronounced. Photo courtesy of Amy Benson, U.S. Geological Survey, Bugwood.org.
Photo courtesy of Amy Benson, U.S. Zebra mussels are named for the striped pattern of its shell. However, color patterns can vary to the point of having only dark or light colored shells with no stripes.
See the full report on potential economic costs of Dreissenid mussel infestations in Montana. The zebra mussel is a small, triangular bivalve (. Highly variable with respect to color as its scientific name polymorpha (many forms) indicates.
Most are white or cream-colored with jagged lateral brown to black stripes or bands, which give the species its common name. Zebra mussels are named for the striped pattern on their shells; however, color patterns can vary to the point of having only dark or light. The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is a small freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Dreissenidae.
The species originates from the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine, [3] but has been accidentally introduced to numerous other areas and has become an invasive species in many countries worldwide. Dreissena polymorpha The zebra mussel is a freshwater bivalve that, true to its name, is often striped with dark bands like a zebra, but it can also be pure black or unpigmented. This small mussel (about 3 cm long) is can be recognized from other mussels by its triangular shape and one flat edge where its byssal threads (for attaching to hard surfaces; see inset photo) emerge.
However, it is. Short description of Dreissena polymorpha, Zebra Mussel The Zebra mussel is a sessile bivalve mollusc of typically 20 mm (max. 40 mm) length and brownish-yellowish colour with a characteristic dark and light coloured ("zebra") zigzag banding.
Due to its filtering capacity and ability to produce dense populations, it can significantly reduce native biodiversity, and alter whole freshwater. Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are invasive freshwater mussels. The shells are triangular, smooth or shallowly ridged, and can vary in color from solid light to dark brown, or have alternating dark and light stripes.
At various stages of life, mussels range in size from microscopic larvae that can be transported in water in boats up to about 1.5 inches. Adult zebra mussels attach to hard.