Wildlife agencies warn of zebra mussels hidden in moss balls

摘要

Wildlife agencies in Oregon, Washington and Idaho are urging pet stores to stop selling a popular aquarium product after discovering invasive zebra mussels inside it. The mollusks breed quickly and can wreak havoc on natural waterways. Unexpected sightings in Northwestern pet stores have wildlife officials sounding the alarm, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. "It would be devastating to our environment if these ever got established in Oregon or the Pacific Northwest," said Rick Boatner, the invasive species wildlife integrity supervisor at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. A Petco employee in Seattle found zebra mussels in "Betta Buddy Marimo Ball" moss ball products in February. "I work in the aquatics department, and almost every shipment of these moss balls that I have unpacked for the past two months has had mussels nestled in the moss balls," reads a specimen filing with the U.S. Geological Survey.