General Facts About Green Mussels
Green mussels are cultivated in New Zealand and China. They are bivalve mollusks. They belong to the family Mytilidae. Mussels attach themselves to various hard surfaces like roots, underside of boulders or portions of large rocks. Mussels attach with byssus threads.
When the tide is high, mussels open their shells a little. When water goes into their shell, they sieve out the food particles with their enlarged gills. At low tide, they clamp their shells tightly. Mussels are a great favorite among many nationalities.
Mussels if they form dense layers affect coastal industries. Green mussels are trophical mollusks and die in cold weather.
The Asian green mussel was found in Tampa Bay in 1999. This was a source of major concern because it would affect Tampa Bay’s ecosystem. The green mussels grow rapidly. It has a brown, yellow and bright emerald green or blue shells.
One now gives thought to the viability of growing green mussels in Samoa. People of Samoa have for a very long time imported mussels. Green mussel farming in Samoa can be financially viable. The farming of green mussels is widespread and well established as a commercial activity in Southeast Asia, China, New Zealand and Australia, and Central and North America.
The farming is done from the grow out of juvenile mussels (spat) on ropes suspended from bamboo or metal rafts. The green mussel is a great table delicacy in China, the Philippines and Malaysia. In Singapore green mussels are also very popular.
