Mussel pest detected near Qld port project

An invasive type of mussel named for its kryptonite colouring has been detected near a Rio Tinto site in far north Queensland.

Asian green mussels are a marine pest known to damage vessel hulls, outdo native species and accumulate high concentrations of toxins and heavy metals.

One was spied south of Rio Tinto's $2.6 billion Amrun port development site near Weipa by a marine biologist conducting a routine check, Biosecurity Queensland said on Thursday.

"It's unknown at this stage how the mussel arrived in Australia but we are conducting a tracing investigation of vessel movements in the area," Biosecurity Queensland's John Robertson said.

"A surveillance program is also under way to determine the extent of the incursion and develop containment measures."

The pests have been detected in Queensland multiple times - the last was at Cairns in 2014 - but have been successfully eradicated on each occasion.

Their shells glow lurid green when young but darken as the mussel ages.

The species is native to the northwest Pacific from Siberia to Singapore but has been introduced to the waters of the US, Mediterranean and Australia.