Giant oysters found in Pola, Oriental Mindoro

One man in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, had the surprise of his life when he found giant oysters while fishing.

According to "Kuya Kim, Ano Na?" on "24 Oras," Thursday, one of the oysters that Marwin Layag harvested was almost the size of his face. The content creator would share vlogs of himself harvesting these huge oysters and eating them in mukbang videos, which trended online.

Marwin said that one of the giant oysters he found back in March was around 10 inches long and weighed about two kilograms.

For the unknowing, an oyster or "talaba" is a bivalve mollusk that usually has rough, uneven shells. It is an invertebrate or an animal without a backbone and belongs to the phylum Mollusca.

Kuya Kim shared that oysters are filter feeders, which means they eat by pumping and filtering water through their bodies, which in turn contributes to the coastal ecosystem.

"They also help maintain the ecology of the ocean by filtering out all the contaminants in the water," said marine biologist Mylene Sadagnot.

But while oysters are popular among seafood lovers, it's advised to take caution when eating these raw or undercooked.

"The risk of this is because they accumulate these microorganisms in their bodies. It is best that you eat them when they are properly cooked," added Sadagnot.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News