DFO is advising aquarium owners to be vigilant after Zebra Mussels were recently found in some aquarium products.

Zebra Mussels are one of the worst aquatic invasive threats in Canada. Once established they can multiply quickly, harming ecosystems by altering food webs, damaging habitats and out-competing native species for food.

DFO says Zebra Mussels have recently been found in moss ball products, a type of aquarium plant product made of green algae with infected moss balls in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

Anyone who recently purchased moss ball products in Canada is asked to dispose of them responsibly by placing them in the freezer for at least 24 hours in a sealable bag or boiling it in water for at least one full minute. People are asked not to flush them down the toilet or dispose of them in compost. If already placed in an aquarium, all accessories in the tank should be washed with a chlorine bleach solution.

People are asked to report invasive aquatic species to DFO.