CBFS scientists team up with Buffalo State to review the impact of the invasive quagga mussel on the native burrowing amphipod on both sides of the Atlantic. These amphipods are keystone species in North American and Eurasian freshwater ecosystems and play a central role in benthic– pelagic coupling as well as being a critical food source for many fish species. The introduction of quagga mussels cause severe declines, and in some cases, the extirpation of these amphipods, as documented in the four lower Laurentian Great Lakes, resulting in declines in some commercially and recreationally important fish species. In smaller inland lakes like the Finger Lakes, the negative impact of quagga mussels on amphipods appears to be less severe. The ongoing rapid expansion of quagga mussels across Eurasia raises concerns about their future interactions with amphipods populations and potential adverse effects on Eurasian fisheries. Based on patterns observed in the Great Lakes, the largest Eurasian lakes may be particularly vulnerable to strong quagga mussel-driven restructuring of benthic food webs.
Alexander Y. Karatayev , Lyubov E. Burlakova , James Watkins , Vadim Karatayev , Nikolai Barulin & Lars Rudstam (04 May 2026): The Impacts of Invasive Zebra and Quagga Mussels on North American (Diporeia) and European (Monoporeia) Amphipods, Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, DOI: 10.1080/23308249.2026.2663276
