The green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) is a bivalve mollusc endemic to New Zealand, where it is known by its Māori name, kūtai. It is the country’s largest mussel species, growing up to 24 centimetres, and is named for the green band that runs along the lip of its shell.
Green-lipped mussels have plump, tender meat with a mild, sweet flavour. They are a major New Zealand export product, sold fresh, frozen (typically on the half-shell), and as a dried powder marketed as a joint-health supplement.
In Australia, green-lipped mussels are widely available frozen and are a popular seafood item. They are distinct from the blue mussels farmed in Australian waters, being larger and with a different flavour profile.
How it's produced
Green-lipped mussels are farmed almost exclusively in New Zealand, primarily in the Marlborough Sounds, Coromandel Peninsula, and Hauraki Gulf. Farming involves collecting wild spat (juvenile mussels) on special ropes, then transferring them to longline systems suspended in coastal waters.
The mussels are filter feeders — they draw nutrients from the surrounding seawater — so they require no feed inputs, making mussel farming one of the most environmentally low-impact forms of aquaculture. They reach harvest size in 12 to 18 months. Harvesting is mechanised, with mussels stripped from the ropes, cleaned, graded, and processed on shore.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for shellfish, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
What comes from this
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