DIET:
Zebra mussels are filter feeders, which mean they rely on the food source to come to them. They cycle food through their inhalant and exhalation siphons located at the front tip of their shells. In order to feed, they attach to substrates with their "byssal fibers," while filtering food flowing in the water. Their siphons are able to filter particles that are smaller than one micro (10^-6) meter, thus including all bacteria that are in the water. Because they are able to siphon such small particles, a majority of their diet consists of small bacteria, algae, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. Since they are an invasive species, they have grown to habitats that usually have a large abundance of plankton (i.e. Hudson river). With such an abundance of food, they are able to process up to a rate of ninety-percent efficiency.
