Zebra mussels have limited predators, including round goby, diving duck, and the freshwater drum.

These toxins are passed on to humans, especially fishermen, who catch and consume these predators. The toxins they filter out of the water become concentrated in their tissues and pass on to predators. They tend to contribute to biomagnification. Zebra mussels pose a considerable health risk to the ecosystem. Many people wonder how they are responsible for reducing the quality of water when they actually help filter the contaminants out of water. Moreover, zebra mussels also lower the quality of water. Therefore, apart from rocks, zebra mussels tend to stick themselves to native sea creatures risking their lives. Zebra mussels are dangerous because they harm their native species.įor the zebra mussels to survive, they need to attach themselves to a hard object. Unlike other sea creatures, Zebra mussels are dangerous sea animals that are harmful to the lakes, other sea creatures, and humans. So, the next time you want to try this exotic dish, make sure to cook them first. Therefore, to safely consume them and prevent those toxins from entering your body, it is essential to cook them first.Ĭooking Zebra mussels kills harmful bacteria and makes them relatively safer to consume. One recurring thought that keeps bothering people’s minds is: Do we need to eat the zebra mussels raw, or is it necessary to cook them? Since Zebra Mussels contain toxins and harmful pollutants. Therefore, eating Zebra mussels is unhealthy, and consuming them would allow those pollutants and toxins to get transferred into your body. If you are a risk-taker and still want to eat the zebra mussels, then this exotic dish is just for you. This is because Zebra Mussels are filter feeders causing their tissues to get accumulated by pollutants. However, according to the United States Geological Survey, it is not advisable to eat Zebra mussels. So, you would need lots of them to satisfy your appetite. Zebra mussels differ in flavor, and unlike other creatures, they have little meat in them.

However, eating them might challenge your taste buds as they don’t taste like your typical meals. Like oysters and clams, mussels like Zebra mussels are also edible. However, if you are one for exotic dishes and new adventures, you may want to try them out. Zebra mussels are edible however generally they are not recommended for human consumption. Can you eat zebra mussels?Īfter knowing what these creatures are, one question that may pop into your mind is: Can you really eat Zebra Mussels ? The answer is both yes and no. After filtering out all the unwanted things from the water, zebra mussels eat their favorite foods: fish feces, decaying organic matter, and microscopic organisms. You will be amazed to read what the zebra mussels like to eat. It’s like the same scenario when you take all the Kiwis out from your fruit salad because you are allergic to Kiwis.

Zebra mussels eat by sucking in water, filtering out all its particles, and throwing out whatever they want. Unlike other sea creatures, they tend to eat differently. They have a distinct shape that is more triangular than round. Zebra mussels are more related to saltwater clams. They have two half-shells that constantly protect themselves. To the world of science, they are known as Dreissena polymorpha. They are freshwater bivalve species like oysters and clams, to name a few. They have a dark striping pattern on their shells which are rounder in shape. Zebra mussels are tiny sea creatures around an inch long, primarily found in the streams and lakes of the Black Sea regions of Eastern Europe and Western Asia.