Kalamalka Lake and a box of a puzzling B.C. mussel

The box of a puzzling mussel in Kalamalka Lake nearby Vernon, B.C. is reminding Okanagan vessel owners of a harm the invasive class could poise if they ever reached B.C.

Last week, when Randall Yakuchuk found a mussel trustworthy to a carcass of his boat, his initial regard was that it was a zebra or quagga — dual class of invasive mussel wreaking massacre in other tools of Canada.

Zebra mussels have infested Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba notwithstanding that province’s best efforts to stop them. The mussels multiply so prolifically they throttle out other animals in a physique of H2O — with millions of mussels combining carpets along a lake bed.

In a end, a sole mussel Yakuchuk found on his vessel nearby Vernon was not a invasive variety, though experts contend they’re concerned that zebra mussels could widespread west into B.C.’s lakes.

Martina Beck, who heads a invasive fauna section with a provincial Ministry of Environment, says a hazard of invasive mussels is tip of mind.

“Certainly it’s a hazard of them being introduced,” pronounced Beck. “We’ve been checking watercraft as they come into a range to safeguard they don’t have any mussels trustworthy to them.”

Beck pronounced zebra and quagga mussels can tarry for adult to 30 days outward of water, and the ministry is endangered that boats that were in lakes filthy with zebra mussels could move them to B.C.

As a medicine measure, a method has set adult 12 stations opposite B.C. to check watercraft for mussels.

Knowing a regard of provincial officials, Yakuchuk plucked the mussel off his carcass final week, and sent it to a Ministry of Environment.

Unable to live in freshwater

After inspecting the shell shape, Beck determined the puzzling mussel was of a sea variety, local to the seashore — a quadruped incompetent to live in freshwater.

Zebra mussels, shown here, are smaller than sea mussels and typically have stripes. (Austin Grabish/CBC)

“They phoned me and told me it was only a common sea mussel …  And to fundamentally not to be disturbed about it. How it got onto a lake is a mystery,” pronounced Yakuchuk, laughing.

Yakuchuk total a mussel came from a vessel someone had in a sea and afterwards changed to Kalamalka Lake.

Beck agrees Yakuchuk’s theory is the many plausible.

The quickest approach to warning supervision of an invasive species, pronounced Beck, is to use the provincial Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline.

With files from Daybreak South

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Article source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fresh-water-salt-mussel-1.4803910?cmp=rss