What do zebra mussels look like? <!-- biology, wildlife, invasive species -->
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USGS Frequently Asked Questions
Question:
What do zebra mussels look like?
Answer:
Mussels are also called 'bivalves'. This means they have two shells or valves (a right valve and a left valve). The zebra mussel gets its name because of the dark, striped pattern on each valve. Usually the shell is a light color (tan, beige) with the zig-zag stripes. However, some are almost completely all brown and the stripes are not pronounced. Even more rare are those nearly all light colored with little striping.
