zebra mussel
noun
: a chiefly freshwater Eurasian lamellibranch mollusk (Dreissena polymorpha) that was accidentally introduced into the Great Lakes and has spread to other waterways where it colonizes and clogs water intake pipes and competes with native fish for food
Examples of zebra mussel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, other species such as Asian carp and zebra mussels are doing big damage, especially in our waterways.
—
Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024
Among the species identified as the most likely invaders were the alewife, zebra mussel and red swamp crayfish.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024
While much smaller, just finger-nail sized, zebra mussels have also caused huge problems with algal blooms and clogging pipes.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024
And many other invasive species, including zebra mussels, can also be moved in ballast water.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024
That includes the quagga and zebra mussels, which hitched rides on oceangoing ships from their original habitats in Eastern Europe to reach the Great Lakes in the 1980s and the West Coast by 2008, destroying freshwater mussel farms along the way.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Researchers say the clock is ticking for many of these wrecks, which are being damaged by invasive zebra mussels and quagga mussels.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023
And while zebra mussels prefer hard surfaces, quaggas can attach to soft surfaces at greater depths, enabling them to colonize even the lakes' sandy bottoms.
—CBS News, 23 Sep. 2023
Quagga mussels are bigger and can withstand deeper depths and colder temperatures than zebra mussels.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2023
Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024
Among the species identified as the most likely invaders were the alewife, zebra mussel and red swamp crayfish.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024
While much smaller, just finger-nail sized, zebra mussels have also caused huge problems with algal blooms and clogging pipes.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024
And many other invasive species, including zebra mussels, can also be moved in ballast water.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024
That includes the quagga and zebra mussels, which hitched rides on oceangoing ships from their original habitats in Eastern Europe to reach the Great Lakes in the 1980s and the West Coast by 2008, destroying freshwater mussel farms along the way.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Researchers say the clock is ticking for many of these wrecks, which are being damaged by invasive zebra mussels and quagga mussels.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023
And while zebra mussels prefer hard surfaces, quaggas can attach to soft surfaces at greater depths, enabling them to colonize even the lakes' sandy bottoms.
—CBS News, 23 Sep. 2023
Quagga mussels are bigger and can withstand deeper depths and colder temperatures than zebra mussels.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zebra mussel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Zebra mussel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zebra%20mussel. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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