ABSTRACT
P. viridis, formerly known as Mytilus smaragdinus Chemnitz, 1785, and M. viridis (L.), 1758, is a Southeast Asian species. Its present known range of distribution is the northeastern Indian Ocean, i.e., from the coasts of India, peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, to the South Chine Sea in Thailand and the Philippines. In the Philippines, the species is found over almost all of the archipelago, in bays or coves, estuarine mangrove areas from Ilocos Norte in northern Luzon Island to Panguil Bay in Mindanao Island in the South. The biggest mussel-producing areas are in Bacoor Bay within Manila Bay, Sapian Bay in Capiz, Panay Island, and Maqueda Bay in Samar Island. Before 1950, oyster farmers regarded green mussels only as a nuisance, inimical to oyster cultivation because they competed with oysters for food and space. Green mussels are widely cultivated and are a popular food item because they have high nutritive value, being rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals.
