Golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei(Dunker 1857) is a filter-collector species of fresh water mussel originating from southern China. In the water transfer tunnels from the East River to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, golden mussels attach to the walls of pipelines and gates, causing serious biofouling, increased flow resistance, and resulted in corrosion of the tunnel wall. Golden mussel has very high environmental adaptability and may colonize habitats with low dissolved oxygen and a wide range of trophic levels. The colonization process of the species on solid surface was studied in the Xizhijiang River, a tributary of the East River and the main water resource of Shenzhen from March 2010 to April 2011. The results showed that the golden mussel completed three generations and reproduced six cohorts per year in the tropic zone. Water temperature was the controlling factor for the growth rate and maturity of each cohort. Based on the results, an ecological method for controlling the invasion of golden mussels in water transfer tunnels was proposed.