Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Chinese pond mussel infestation of the Danube in Rousse

Photo: BGNES

The huge mussels, reaching 22 to 26 cms. in size which appeared along the bank of the Danube in Rousse about a fortnight ago, have been proved to be an invasive mussel species from China, Radio Varna reports.

Biodiversity and ecosystems experts from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences say they are Chinese pond mussels. They were first spotted in the Danube in 2005 but since then, the population of the species has exploded.

The Chinese pond mussels are not a direct threat to the other animal species but they do attack their direct Bulgarian rivals – two species of pond mussels – by reducing their feed resources. The invasion was first noticed in the first half of August when the temperature of the water rose. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church and BSP discuss introduction of religion in schools

In the Synodal Palace, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil met with the parliamentary group of "BSP - United Left". The delegation of the socialists was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of BSP, Atanas Zafirov, the Synod of the..

published on 11/5/25 8:45 AM

The weather will remain largely unchanged, with showers occurring only in the eastern regions

On Wednesday, the lowest temperatures will range from 5°C to 10°C, around 7°C in Sofia. During the day, cloud cover will remain significant, with light rain in some areas, mainly in Southeastern Bulgaria and the mountain regions. There will be a light..

published on 11/4/25 6:45 PM

Chirpan Tunnel on the Plovdiv-Burgas railway line to be ready by the end of 2026

Prokopan is the only railway tunnel on the Plovdiv-Burgas line. This became clear during a visit by Deputy Minister of Transport Lyuben Nanov, who was on-site to see the progress in the modernization of the Orizovo-Mihaylovo railway section. The..

published on 11/4/25 6:34 PM