What type of substrate do zebra mussels strongly prefer for attachment in a lake environment?
Answer
Hard, stable substrates
The biology of the zebra mussel dictates a strong preference for attaching itself to solid, unchanging surfaces. This includes objects such as rocks, sunken pieces of wood, submerged infrastructure like water intake pipes or docks, and even the exterior shells of other native mussels. This preference is linked to their need for shallow, well-lit, flowing water, and it dictates that dense colonies are usually found adhering to surfaces rather than burrowing into the sediment, distinguishing them from their close relatives.
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