Page 4 - Wesley Daniel News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Zebra mussels have been found on moss balls sold by pet stores in 21 states. Officials are asking aquarium owners to immediately destroy the plants.

Photo: Kilian Fichou/AFP (Getty Images) Balls of moss commonly found in aquariums are threatening to push the zebra mussel invasion further across the U.S., wildlife officials are warning. Contaminated moss balls have been found in pet stores in 21 states in recent weeks, and both officials and the pet supply industry are scrambling to contain the problem before it’s too late. Advertisement Judging by their name alone, the fingernail-sized zebra mussel might not seem like the most fearsome creature to be worried about. What makes them so dangerous, though, is their ability to adapt. Once i...

Pet stores in more than 30 states across the country, including Indiana, have been selling something they shouldn't: invasive zebra mussels.  These fingernail-sized mussels are regarded as one of the most destructive invasive species in North America, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Originating from Eurasia, they have wreaked havoc on the Great Lakes in the last two decades by messing with the aquatic food chain and clogging pipes.  And in just the last week, they have been found in aquarium moss balls that are sold in stores across the country.  More specifically, the a...

CHRIS HUBBUCH Wildlife officials are asking aquarium owners to destroy their “moss balls” after invasive zebra mussels were found on some of the ornamental plants. The U.S. Geological Survey warned Monday that the destructive shellfish have been found in pet stores in at least 21 states including Wisconsin. “The issue is that somebody who purchased the moss ball and then disposed of them could end up introducing zebra mussels into an environment where they weren’t present before,” said Wesley Daniel, the USGS biologist who discovered the problem. “We�...

Federal officials are warning aquarium owners to check their moss balls for zebra mussels after pet stores were found to have sold infested plants.