The invasive golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei), a highly destructive species, has entered the Amazon region and is spreading rapidly in rivers. The first confirmed finding was in August 2023 in the Tocantin River in Brazil, where they found 32 clams stuck to rocks; the river measures approximately 2500 km and flows into the eastern side of the Amazon delta[1]. Since then, the mussel has moved approximately 460 km downstream and northward, affecting more than 20 municipalities and reaching the Pará River southeast of Marajó Island[1]. It threatens to enter the main stream of the Amazon, threatening water quality, local ecosystems, hydropower plants and fisheries[1]. According to a 2018 study, its arrival was predicted by 2030, but there is a lack of research funding and government action[1]. Brazil launched a 25-year national monitoring and control plan in 2020, but the pandemic and budget cuts have slowed it down[2]. The conditions in the Amazon rivers, such as temperature, salinity and nutrients, are ideal for the bivalve[2].