SINCE 1828
zebra mussel
nounDefinition of zebra mussel
: 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
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The Bone Lake boat launch in Scandia will be closed temporarily starting Monday as crews treat the lake for zebra mussels. — Mary Divine, Twin Cities, "Zebra mussel discovery leads to temporary closure of Scandia’s Bone Lake boat launch," 14 June 2019 Six juvenile zebra mussels were found in the lake late last month by a Washington Conservation District watercraft inspector who was performing an early-detection survey using an underwater viewing device called an aquascope. — Mary Divine, Twin Cities, "Zebra mussel discovery leads to temporary closure of Scandia’s Bone Lake boat launch," 14 June 2019 The zebra mussel, which is native to Eastern Europe and Western Russia, made its way to Western Europe and the U.S. as a stowaway in ships' ballast water. — Christina Nunez, National Geographic, "Invasive species, explained," 5 June 2019 Quagga mussels approach an inch in length and zebra mussels can be about twice that size. — Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, "Washington state plans to use dog to detect invasive mussels on boats," 23 June 2018 Invaders that are now ubiquitous in the Great Lakes, including quagga and zebra mussels, the round goby and the fish-killing VHS virus, are all believed to have arrived as hitchhikers in foreign ships' ballast water. — Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, "Snyder vetoes bill weakening ballast water standards," 29 June 2018 Quagga and zebra mussels siphon in water to pluck out microscopic organisms that can throw food chains out of balance, and their sheer numbers in attaching to surfaces can clog pipes at reservoirs and damage boat motors. — Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, "Washington state plans to use dog to detect invasive mussels on boats," 23 June 2018 Quagga mussels approach an inch (25 millimeters) in length while zebra mussels can be about twice that size. — Keith Ridler, idahostatesman, "Invent a new way to kill off invasive mussels, and this $100,000 could be yours," 20 Feb. 2018 From eucalyptus trees to ring-necked pheasants and zebra mussels, introduced species often compete with native flora and fauna for habitat and food. — Ursula K. Heise, WIRED, "Endangered Species and the Case for ‘Sanctuary Cities’," 10 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'zebra mussel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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