Quagga Mussel

The quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) is a subspecies of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk.

It is one of seven Dreissena species and has an average life span of 3 to 5 years.

This subspecies is indigenous to the Dnieper River drainage of Ukraine. The species is named after the quagga, an extinct subspecies of African zebra, possibly because, like the quagga, its stripes fade out towards the ventral side.

The quagga mussel is currently of major concern in the United States as an invasive species.