Dreaded mollusk discovered in California for first time (zebra mussel)

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 1/15/08 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

State wildlife officials say a destructive species known as the zebra mussel has been discovered in California for the first time.

Department of Fish and Game spokeswoman Alexia Retallack says a fisherman found the mollusks while fishing in the San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County.

Lab tests conducted Monday confirmed that the creatures were zebra mussels, which are known to clog water pipes and boat engines and alter the chemistry of marine ecosystems.

State officials plan to conduct further surveys to determine the extent of the infestation and develop a plan to stop its spread.

They're asking fishermen and boaters to keep an eye out for zebra mussels and notify authorities if they find any.

[americanophile]

Not good. I know how much trouble they’ve caused in the Great Lakes.

[Inyo-Mono]

Nooooooooooooooooooo!!! First New Zealand mud snails, now this?

[NormsRevenge]

ever since that new Gub came in office,, more and more invasive species are being found , it seems. ;-)

[Inyo-Mono]

Yes, and the enviromentalists have infiltrated the DFG with a desire to end sport fishing.

[cmsgop]

I'm On Your Boat,Sucking On Your Hull !!!!!!

[ohiobuckeye1997]

Don’t knock the zebra mussel, this little thing has turned lake Erie around...in the 80’s I remember a dark brown murky lake now it is blue and nearly clear...people scuba dive with ease....the little filter feeders did a heck of a job...and still the fishing is great...

[the invisib1e hand]

oh, crap. we're in trouble now.

They'll probably become man-eating as global temperatures rise.

[Carry_Okie]

State officials plan to conduct further surveys to determine the extent of the infestation and develop a plan to stop its spread.

As opposed to ERADICATE IT?

Not only that, they didn't start with a quarantine of the lake. Ongoing "control" efforts are the nearest thing to full employment going.

[cripplecreek]

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Your remark is right on. It’s like the peace “process.” You have a permanent process and no peace.

[I see my hands]

"Dreaded mollusk"

Yeah sure, dreaded. Just like Lake Erie dreaded them. The ore boats coped as does the lake infrastructure. The lake itself is healthy and has never looked better.

[Khepri]

That can’t possibly be true...everyone knows Huckabee left Michgan and went to SC....

[RouxStir]

Can ya eat ‘em?

[spanalot]

I happen to notice that only last month.

Is that true?

[RichInOC]

Per Wikipedia, apparently by crawfish, waterbirds, muskrats and some fish. But it sounds like they’re little guys, like fingernail-sized to two inches long, max.

[BallyBill]

In my area you can't even use your boat in places because they don't want them spreading from lake to lake.

Kill 'em, kill em all while you can.

[toddlintown]

Cook them up in a chardonnay and serve them in a bed of linguini and the next thing you know, the feds will step in and classify them as endangered.

[avacado]

WOW! That picture brings back memories. I use to work on a 265’ seismic ship and we’d come into dry dock once every so many years and that is how it looks in dry dock. Imagine walking under that thing knowing it’s only supported by a few braces. It’s one of the weirdest and most powerless feelings ever with all that tipped over weight above you.

Good pic! Thanks!

.

[MediaMole]

Just wait until you get the quagga mussel.

They kill all the zebra mussels, but they eat all the fish food and nothing likes eating them.

[w1andsodidwe]

Well the evolutions need to understand that this is just going to happen.

[cmsgop]

LMAO!!!

[popdonnelly]

Paging John Cleese.

[healy61]

I can’t believe I have not heard of quagga mussels. The story I read indicated that a net for fish yielded several pounds of fish and 6 to 7 hundred pounds of quagga mussels after a 10 minute dredge on Lake Michigan.

[geopyg]

I did a job where I was working under the U.S.S. Constellation. It was really weird nowing that it was just wood (lots and lots and lots!) holding the thing up 5-feet above the floor.

[avacado]

So you know the feeling too! Yep, it’s just leaning on wood and walking under it is beyond weird.

The U.S.S. Constellation is a damn big ship, that must have been really surreal to walk under it. You and I are some of very few people who know that beyond weird experience of walking under a ship propped up by wood. That's a lot of mass!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Better to whatever that greek wine is that reeks of turpentine and lots of tomato sauce. Chardonnay would be overpowered by the pronounced taste of mud and the texture of grit that is the zebra mussel. (And be prepared to spend a lot of shucking—they are smaller than your fingernail.)

[Nuc1]

Yep. Been telling folks these little ones will clean the water up faster than they would believe possible. The reasons they are so prolific is that they have no natural predators over here and there is so much food in the waters of America. Because they are prolific they cause many problems especially in piping systems. When the water is clean and the food source depleted they will die off. Eventually an equilibrium will be restored.

While we are waiting they will make our lives more expensive and difficult. I believe that in the end it will be worth it.

[wideminded]

Many years ago I visited a swampy area in the southwestern part of the San Francisco bay. Small streams had cut deep channels through this area on their way out to the bay, and the walls of these channels were entirely lined with mussels. I’m not familiar with the habitat of mussels, but it struck me even at that time that there must be some sort of environmental problem going on.

[AFreeBird]

I don't know, I know there was big concern when they were first reported there. BUt later on, I recall reading that an unanticipated side effect of them, were their water filtering prowess. Seems they also clean up the water quite well.

As for clogging intakes, I think the engineers did some adjustments, and the problem was not as bad as they thought it would be.

[colonialhk]

No, They do filter the crap out of the water well so Pelosi is panicked that it will lead to transparency.

[pgobrien]

I’m with you. Little suckers cleaned up a dirty lake.
Beautiful now.

[BuffaloJack]

> Don’t knock the zebra mussel, this little thing has turned lake Erie around...in the 80’s I remember a dark brown murky lake now it is blue and nearly clear...people scuba dive with ease....the little filter feeders did a heck of a job...and still the fishing is great...

I totally agree, ohiobuckeye1997. Zebra Mussels are our friends. When I used to fish in the Niagara river 25 years ago, it was muddy and murky, and the fish always had silt and muck clogging their gills; now the water is clear, the fish healthy, and I can see my lure under the water from 50 or 60 yards and watch the fish chase it all the way back as I reel it in.

[dware]

I hope so