Dreissena polymorpha ( Pallas, 1771 )

Marković, Vanja, Gojšina, Vukašin, Novaković, Boris, Božanić, Milenka, Stojanović, Katarina, Karan-Žnidaršič, Tamara & Živić, Ivana, 2021, The freshwater molluscs of Serbia: Annotated checklist with remarks on distribution and protection status, Zootaxa 5003 (1), pp. 1-64 : 37

78. Dreissena polymorpha ( Pallas, 1771)

Findings in Serbia.

Dreissena polymorpha: Matoničkin et al. (1975) ; Arambašić (1994); JDS-ITR Report (2002); Paunović et al. (2005, 2007 b, 2015); Đurković et al. (2006); Simić et al. (2009); Tomović et al. (2010 b, 2014); Zorić et al. (2010, 2020); Kovačević et al. (2012); Marković et al. (2012); Raković et al. (2013); Martinović-Vitanović et al. (2007, 2013); Lucić et al. (2015); Raković (2015).

Common name. Zebra mussel.

Morphology. Medium-sized bivalve. Elongate rounded-triangular shell reaches dimensions of 20–50 mm, height 13–18 mm, and depth 17–20 mm. For more details see Welter-Schultes (2012: 16, figure at the bottom of the page).

Distribution and ecology. Ponto-Caspian native species, nowadays widespread across Europe, reaching North America ( Moorkens & Killeen 2009; Welter-Schultes 2012). It prefers hard substrate (attaching itself by byssus threads) of slow-flowing waters (rivers, canals, reservoirs, power station cooling systems, water treatment facilities, water pipelines). In Serbia, it is found mostly in large lowland rivers (Danube, Tisza, Sava, Velika Morava), and it has been recorded in the Drina River as well.

Other remarks. Invasive species which has been ranked as the “worst alien” mollusc species in Europe and as 23 rd species in the “List of the worst alien species for Europe” ( Nentwig et al. 2018). It has 56 nominal species as synonyms ( Graf & Cummings 2021). On the IUCN Red List it has been assessed as LC ( Van Damme 2014).