In addition since zebra mussels became established, the clarity of the once-murky water in Lake Erie has increased dramatically. You can see down for thirty feet in some areas, compared to less than six inches half a century ago. As light has penetrated the lake, some aquatic plants have revived. They in turn have become nurseries for fish such as the yellow perch. The zebra mussel is also itself a food source for important species. The smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and, most dramatically, the previously endangered lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)—a giant shark-like beast that has barely evolved for one hundred million years—munch them and have revived their populations as a result. Lake Erie is now reportedly the world's premier smallmouth bass fishery. Meanwhile, migrating ducks that once avoided the fetid waters now make detours to feast on the new mussels.