Limnoperna fortunei, a bivalve mollusc native to China, is now rapidly spreading in South America. As with Dreissena (the zebra mussels), Limnoperna has rapidly become a major nuisance for many industries and power plants, and its impact on the environment may be even stronger than that of Dreissena. Together with colleagues from Argentina, we conducted the first quantitative survey of Limnoperna in Rio Tercero Reservoir, analyzed mussel coverage on different substrate types, estimated the overall population size, and studied their effect on the benthic community. Our data will help us to predict the potential effect of Limnoperna on aquatic ecosystems in the US.
