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Zebra mussels are small,
fingernail-sized animals that
attach to solid surfaces in
water. Zebra mussels have spread
throughout the Great Lakes,
parts of the Mississippi River,
and other rivers and inland
lakes. They were first found in
Minnesota in the Duluth/Superior
Harbor in 1989.
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Mussels attach to boats, nets,
docks, swim platforms, boat
lifts, and can be moved on any
of these objects. They can also
attach to aquatic plants.
Mussels can also be spread by
carrying the veliger (a larval
mollusk) in water that has not
been drained from boats or bait
buckets. |
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You can't always see zebra
mussels because their larvae are
invisible to the naked eye. They
can survive for days in water
trapped in a boat. The only way
to be sure you're not carrying
zebra mussels to another body of
water is to
always inspect your
boat, trailer, and gear
and
clean, drain, and dry boats
and buckets when leaving an
infested area. |
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Zebra mussels can impact
the environment of lakes
where they live. They
eat tiny food particles
that they filter out of
the water, which can
reduce the available
food for larval fish and
other animals, and cause
aquatic vegetation to grow
as a result of increased
water clarity. Zebra
mussels can also attach
to, and smother, native
mussels. |
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