# Zebra mussel (*Dreissena polymorpha*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/zebra-mussel  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia and the family Dreissenidae. It belongs to the genus Dreissena, the subfamily Dreisseninae and the superfamily Dreissenoidea, within the phylum Mollusca. The zebra mussel is a living species, assessed globally as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 5 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | freshwater |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Mollusca
- class: Bivalvia
- family: Dreissenidae
- genus: Dreissena
- species: *Dreissena polymorpha* (Pallas, 1771)

Synonyms: *Congeria polymorpha*, *Deissena polymorpha*, *Dreissena andrusovi*, *Dreissena angustiformis*, *Dreissena aralensis*, *Dreissena arnouldi*, *Dreissena bedoti*, *Dreissena belgrandi*, *Dreissena caspia*, *Dreissena caspia pallasi*, *Dreissena caspia pallasi*, *Dreissena complanata*, *Dreissena curta*, *Dreissena eximia*, *Dreissena fluviatilis*, *Dreissena kuesteri*, *Dreissena küsteri*, *Dreissena latro*, *Dreissena locardi*, *Dreissena lunata*, *Dreissena lutetiana*, *Dreissena magnifica*, *Dreissena obtusecarinata*, *Dreissena occidentalis*, *Dreissena pallasi*, *Dreissena paradoxa*, *Dreissena paradoxa*, *Dreissena polymorpha*, *Dreissena polymorpha andrusovi*, *Dreissena polymorpha aralensis*, *Dreissena polymorpha arnouldi*, *Dreissena polymorpha obtusecarinata*, *Dreissena polymorpha var. lacustrina*, *Dreissena polymorpha var. tschapurica*, *Dreissena recta*, *Dreissena servaini*, *Dreissena sulcata*, *Dreissena tumida*, *Dreissena ventrosa*, *Dreissena westerlundi*, *Dreissensia andrusovi*, *Dreissensia angustiformis*, *Dreissensia aralensis*, *Dreissensia arnouldi*, *Dreissensia bedoti*, *Dreissensia belgrandi*, *Dreissensia chorezma*, *Dreissensia complanata*, *Dreissensia cornuiformis*, *Dreissensia curta*, *Dreissensia ebersini*, *Dreissensia eximia*, *Dreissensia fluviatilis*, *Dreissensia gubkini*, *Dreissensia kambai*, *Dreissensia kopetdagica*, *Dreissensia latro*, *Dreissensia latro var. oraria*, *Dreissensia locardi*, *Dreissensia lunata*, *Dreissensia lutetiana*, *Dreissensia magnifica*, *Dreissensia nalivkini*, *Dreissensia occidentalis*, *Dreissensia pallasi*, *Dreissensia paradoxa*, *Dreissensia polymorpha*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. angustiformis*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. aralensis*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. arnouldi*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. balchanensis*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. eximia*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. fluviatilis*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. latior*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. obtusecarinata*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. occidentalis*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. servaini*, *Dreissensia polymorpha var. ventrosa*, *Dreissensia recta*, *Dreissensia servaini*, *Dreissensia sulcata*, *Dreissensia tumida*, *Dreissensia ventrosa*, *Dreissensia vestae*, *Dreissensia westerlundi*, *Mytilina polymorpha*, *Mytilus arca*, *Mytilus chemnitzii*, *Mytilus fluvis*, *Mytilus hagenii*, *Mytilus polymorphus*, *Mytilus polymorphus fluviatilis*, *Mytilus polymorphus var. fluviatilis*, *Mytilus polymorphus var. marinus*, *Mytilus volgensis*, *Mytilus wolgae*, *Mytulus polymorphus*, *Mytulus polymorphus var. fluviatilis*, *Mytulus polymorphus var. marinus*, *Pinna fluviatilis*, *Tichogonia chemnitzii*, *Tichogonia polymorpha*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the zebra mussel?

The zebra mussel is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia and the family Dreissenidae.

### What is the scientific name of the zebra mussel?

The scientific name of the zebra mussel is Dreissena polymorpha, in the genus Dreissena.

### Is the zebra mussel endangered?

No. The zebra mussel is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in a global assessment, which is not a threatened category.

### Is the zebra mussel extinct?

No. The Catalogue of Life lists the zebra mussel as a living species.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/zebra-mussel