From rocks to docks, steel boats to plastic floats, zebra and quagga muscles pose a threat to Alberta's waterways and can cause considerable damage, ecologically and financially. The problem with these invasive muscles is threefold. One, their ability to reproduce is astounding, says Paige Kuczmarski with the Alberta Invasive Species Council.
One female muscle can produce up to a million eggs.
Two, they filter out suspended matter and food particles, which means native fish species aren't getting enough to eat. And three, their The ability to latch on to hard surfaces means muscles can and will clog irrigation and water infrastructure, which can devastate crops.
