Remember the ๐ ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ด๐ฎ? We introduced it to you last week. This mussel, which was rare in our region just a few years ago, is becoming increasingly popular. And with good reason! We told you about its extraordinary ability to adapt to different environments. We promised you the rest of its story, so here it is:
The quagga can colonise around ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐: from rocks to boat hulls, but also plant remains or ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฒ! It does not need a solid substrate to attach itself. Several quagga can even ๐'๐ฎ๐ด๐ด๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ each other, giving them the ability to completely cover a space.
Unfortunately, its abundance has ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฒฬ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒฬ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒฬ๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐.
As it settles everywhere, it generates ๐ฑ๐ฒฬ๐ด๐ฎฬ๐๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ for ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐น'๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ or drinking water pumping installations, as it clogs the pipes. It also disturbs turbines or ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒฬ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ and can sink boundary or mooring buoys by catching on them. All this infrastructure has to be cleaned frequently, which generates ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฬ๐๐ ๐ฒฬ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐.
But it's even more serious than that! Being highly prolific, it threatens native species and biodiversity: it attaches itself to ๐ฑ'๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒฬ๐, preventing them from feeding, breathing or digging shelter : certain species of bivalves are therefore increasingly ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ in Lake Geneva. It also takes ๐น๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฑ'๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒฬ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ that might settle in the same places as it does.
The presence of the Quagga Mussel has a few advantages: it serves as ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ for fish and some diving birds. It can also be used ๐ฑ'๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ for small crustaceans, such as gammarids. What's more, it filters water very well and helps to improve the ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐น'๐ฒ๐ฎ๐, encouraging plant growth deep down.
The Moule quagga is ๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒฬ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ, so monitored, but unfortunately cannot be eliminated from the waterholes it has already invaded. On the other hand, it is essential to ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒฬ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฑ'๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ which have not yet been colonised.
First and foremost, it is essential that lake users (sailors, paddlers, divers, etc.) are aware of the importance of the lakes.) ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒฬ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น ๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป when moving from one body of water to another, to avoid transporting mussel larvae or other invasive species.
Information taken from Lรฉmaniques nยฐ113 and the CIPEL
Photo credit: Net'Lรฉman - ASL and Pascal Mulattieri
