The Quagga mussel, a mussel native to the Ukraine, has been found in the United Kingdom for the first time. As with many alien species, this new mussel poses a multitude of threats to both the biodiversity and wildlife of the area. As such, officials are already taking measures to get the mollusk under control before it becomes too widespread to stop.

The mussels were spotted at Wraysbury water reservoir near Heathrow Airport. It is unclear on how they reached the water way, but now they that they are there, they need to be removed. Like so many types of mussels, the Quagga mussel grows in colonies and can spread very, very quickly.  China Topix reports that, on average a single Quagga mussel will live up to five years. During that time it has the ability to produce over five million eggs, a hundred thousand of which will grow into adults. This voracious spreading is problematic on two fronts. It makes population control very difficult, and also enables the mussel to take over an area in a short period of time.

The alien species (scientifically called Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) is very similar to the UK native zebra mussel, but is much more dangerous. Why it is such a problem? Not only can it negatively impact an ecosystem that is not used to the species, but the Quagga mussel also has a habit of forming colonies in pipes and sewer systems, which leads to flooding, and threatens the waterways.As a result of these potential problems, officials in the UK are on high alert to report and remove any Quagga they see.

This is not the first instance where the Quagga has invaded an area. The mussel found its way to the great lakes a number of years ago, where its numbers are now in the trillions. Because of its love for plankton, the invasion greatly effected the local ecosystem and led to huge fish die-offs. This type of impact is one of the main reasons the mollusk has found its way to the top of the Center for Ecology and Hydrology’s threat list.