Quagga Mussels

Quagga mussels are a tremendous problem in Lake Michigan. They are closely related to the zebra mussel, but since quaggas like silty or sandy lake bottoms and can live in waters ranging from warm and shallow to deep and cold, they can thrive in areas that zebra mussels cannot.

The quagga mussel looks a lot like a zebra mussel, but its shell has a rounded angle instead of the flat ventral side of the zebra mussel. A quagga mussel feeds all year, even in winter when its cousin the zebra mussel is dormant. Some researchers believe that Lake Erie's dead zone is likely the partial work of the quagga mussel's non-stop feeding, its ability to live in deep water, and the excretion of phosphorous with its waste. It is certainly contributing to the cladaphora problem along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Because quagga mussels prefer silty and sandy bottomed lakes, they may be able to successfully invade inland lakes with those characteristics, including some lakes not suitable for zebra mussel establishment.