Thousands of tahong wash ashore in San Enrique, Negros Occidental

Thousands of tahong or mussels washed ashore in San Enrique, Negros Occidental, due to strong rain.

As seen on Kuya Kim’s “24 Oras” report Tuesday, residents even from neighboring towns flocked to the area to get their share of mussels.

“Punong-puno talaga ng tahong. Animo’y may fiesta na biglang dami ng mga tahong. Lahat ng tao dito sa’min, kanya-kanyang kuha para may pang-ulam,” said resident Fernando Fuentespina.

According to San Enrique fisheries consultant Joel Pedrosa, the mussels ended up on their shores because of the big waves due to the rain.

He said these mussels grew on the soil surface and not underwater, which was why these easily washed up on the shore. He added that the tahong could probably fill about 10 dump trucks.

According to Kuya Kim, tahong are filter feeders and consume planktons. Mussels need to filter about 65 liters of water per day. It’s female when its insides are orange and male when it’s white.

Mussels are rich in protein, iron, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B12, zinc, iodine, and selenium, which help improve brain function and the immune system.

Meanwhile, like other sea creatures, mussels develop an unpleasant smell when these die or get exposed to air because their tissues have a chemical that break down to an ammonia derivative. – Franchesca Viernes/RC, GMA News