Photo of zebra mussels attached to a native mussel. Credit: USFWS

Zebra Mussel

Zebra mussels look like small striped clams. They were first introduced in the Great Lakes in 1986 and have spread through the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. They have not been found in the Connecticut River watershed yet but they have been found in Lake Champlain and in the Hudson River basin.

They attach to solid objects in freshwater, clogging water intake pipes and fouling the bottoms of boats. They harm the natural ecology of waters that they infest. The zebra mussel can be spread by people, boats and bait. Look out for these critters, and notify us if you think you have seen them in the watershed.

View the zebra mussel profile at www.invasivespecies.gov.