HALIFAX --
Invasive species experts in Atlantic Canada are warning fish enthusiasts and aquarium retailers to inspect their fish tanks after zebra mussels were found in moss balls across the region.
Zebra mussels are tiny creatures -- 700,000 can exist in a square meter of space -- but they cause big problems. The mussels, native to the Black and Caspian seas in southeastern Europe, cause millions of dollars of damage each year to power stations and water-treatment plants around the world.
Reports of mussels found in moss balls -- which are special kinds of algae often used as decor in aquariums -- have been made recently in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, according to those provinces' invasive species councils, which work with governments and industry to prevent the spread of invasive animals and plants.