quagga mussel
noun
plural quagga mussels
: a small, freshwater, lamellibranch mollusk (Dreissena rostriformis synonym Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) native to the Dnieper river and its tributaries that has been introduced into the Great Lakes and other waterways where it colonizes and clogs water intake pipes, competes with native fish for food, and disrupts food webs by consuming phytoplankton
The mussel-coated debris is unmistakable evidence of an event occurring silently and largely out of sight—the colonization of the Colorado River by the quagga mussel, a fingernail-size Eurasian bivalve with an astonishing sex drive and a nasty reputation for causing economic and ecological havoc.—
John Collins Rudolf
John Collins RudolfLess than four years after that reassuring report, quagga mussels have gone from a rare find on the bottom of Lake Michigan to its dominant invasive mussel. Along the way, they have done what many invasion biologists thought would be impossible: They have nearly annihilated Lake Michigan's zebra mussel population.—Dan Egan
Dan EganExamples of quagga mussel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From Centennial Park to Shoshone Falls, two segments of the river — divided by Pillar Falls — tested quagga mussel-free this year, officials said.
—Idaho Statesman, 12 Sep. 2025
Nutrients flowing into the lake in runoff, and sunshine reaching deeper depths due to invasive zebra and quagga mussels filtering the water and increasing its clarity, seem to be contributing factors to the explosion of the M. wollei on Lake St. Clair shorelines in recent years.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The ship’s resting place deep underwater helped preserve key features, like bow clamps and belaying pins, by limiting the growth of invasive quagga mussels, as noted in the release.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Authorities are also on the lookout for quagga mussels and zebra mussels, other longstanding invasive threats to the lake.
—Rebecca-Ann Jattan, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025
Since a lot of water moves through the area, invasive quagga mussels haven’t been able to overtake the wreck.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2025
Historians are racing to locate shipwrecks and downed planes in the Great Lakes before quagga mussels destroy them.
—CBS News, 16 May 2025
There, zebra mussels and quagga mussels have thrived and caused a major decline in the yellow perch fishery.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
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Idaho Statesman, 12 Sep. 2025
Nutrients flowing into the lake in runoff, and sunshine reaching deeper depths due to invasive zebra and quagga mussels filtering the water and increasing its clarity, seem to be contributing factors to the explosion of the M. wollei on Lake St. Clair shorelines in recent years.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The ship’s resting place deep underwater helped preserve key features, like bow clamps and belaying pins, by limiting the growth of invasive quagga mussels, as noted in the release.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Authorities are also on the lookout for quagga mussels and zebra mussels, other longstanding invasive threats to the lake.
—Rebecca-Ann Jattan, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025
Since a lot of water moves through the area, invasive quagga mussels haven’t been able to overtake the wreck.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2025
Historians are racing to locate shipwrecks and downed planes in the Great Lakes before quagga mussels destroy them.
—CBS News, 16 May 2025
There, zebra mussels and quagga mussels have thrived and caused a major decline in the yellow perch fishery.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Quagga mussel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagga%20mussel. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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