Why mussels are orange

The surface of the shell has distinct black lines or ridges that represent winter rest periods. These ridges can be counted to estimate the age of a mussel, just as one counts the rings on a tree. It is the plankton and other microscopic creatures eaten by the muscle that are still in its digestive tract when caught and cooked — ie. Once opened, you can tell the gender of the mussel by the colour of the meat: males are pale, females are orange.

Other useful 0. In most cases, sausages are breaded beforehand. You can skip the thawing process altogether and cook frozen. Is pre cooked shrimp healthy? The frozen. Larvae settle by secreting strong, stretchy fibres called byssal threads , which anchor the larva to its chosen surface. Larvae usually settle first on flexible filamentous surfaces such as seaweed. At this stage, they are commonly known as spat.

They also change the way they do things — for instance, they develop gills, which they then start to use to breathe instead of absorbing oxygen directly through the surface of their bodies and to gather food.

Even though they have settled onto a surface, spat are still very mobile. As they grow larger, mussels become less mobile and choose a solid surface on which to settle permanently. Their favourite surfaces include rocks, wood such as wharf posts , ropes on mussel farms and other mussels in mussel beds on the sea floor. Once settled, mussels grow rapidly — from about half a millimetre in length to approximately 24 cm although farmed mussels are harvested when they reach approximately 10 cm.

The colour of their shells deepens over time as they begin to build up their adult shell. From about 1 year of age, mussels are sexually mature — they can produce and store eggs orange and sperm white in preparation for spawning. This is why mature female mussels have orange flesh, while mature male mussels have white flesh. Every day, a single mussel will filter up to 20 litres of seawater, removing phytoplankton and sediment.

They essentially vacuum as they grow. Mussels are a great source of iron. They are a lean protein and will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Steamed mussels are healthy, delicious and super easy to prepare. Have you ever wondered why some mussels are orange and others are white? It all comes down to gender. The orange mussels are female and the creamy white mussels are male. Both have the same rich, sweet flavour you love.

In every mussel, you will find omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A and B12, zinc, iodine and selenium. Those vitamins and minerals can help improve brain function, reduce inflammatory conditions, regulate thyroid hormones and contribute to your overall immune system and healthy eyes and glowing skin. Mussels were the original hipsters! The beard on a mussel — aka the byssus — is less about aesthetics and more about functionality. As the mussel develops, it grows a mass of threads which it uses to secure itself to a solid surface where it will continue to grow.

As filter feeders they take all their nutrients from the seawater - nothing else is added. Every farm must operate in accordance with a resource consent that sets strict conditions determined and enforced by the local council.

The consent is in effect a licence that tightly controls, among other things, the size of the farm, activities permitted and required monitoring. Harvested all year-round after growing for between 14 and 18 months farmed mussels are fatter and more tender than wild mussels. Live mussels should have tightly closed shells or close slowly when tapped.