|Zebra mussels with various phenotypes|
|Mussels fowling equipment|
Dense populations of zebra mussels also filter water incredibly quickly, and in doing so limit food available to other species and change the makeup of the plankton community in a body of water. By greatly reducing the plankton, the water becomes more clear, completely changing the living conditions for the resident species. They also will coat the bottom, benefiting some species but limiting space available to others. They have also been known to cover other species, including other bivalves and crustaceans. They often out-compete other bivalve species, and are stressing populations of the various species of endangered freshwater mussels.
|A clump of zebra mussels|
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