Species Information

• First observed in Long Island Sound in 1973; by 1988, its range expanded northward to Maine and southward to Connecticut

• Yellowish-gray to reddish-brown
• Club-shaped with two siphons
• Tough, leathery, bumpy exterior; often covered with other organisms
• Up to 8 in (20 cm) tall with stalk approximately 1/3 of its total length
• Fast-growing, prolific breeder

• Grows on hard surfaces such as pilings
• Shallow water below low-tide line

• Prince Edward Island, and Maine to New Jersey
• Native to Sea of Okhotsk south to Shanghai

• Aggressive competitor for living space and food
• Can replace native species of invertebrates
• Occurs by the tens of thousands in areas previously occupied by the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, in parts of southern New England