Mussel

Mussel

Type	Fish
Season	All
Size	1 to 5
Sell Price	30g

The Mussel is a small, common shellfish from the ocean. It turns up in saltwater Crab Pots all year and can also be picked up off the sand at The Beach. On its own it is one of the cheapest catches in the valley, but it has more uses than its price suggests. It fills a slot in the Crab Pot Bundle, it is one of the ingredients in Willy's Fish Stew, and the Island Trader on Ginger Island trades a Mango Sapling for a large stack of them. Evelyn is also fond of Mussels, so they make a cheap gift for her.

Catching

Crab Pots placed in salt water, such as the ocean at The Beach, catch Mussels. A baited pot is checked the next day for its catch. Season, weather and time of day have no effect on ocean pots, so Mussels appear all year. The Luremaster profession removes the need for bait, and Mariner stops pots from catching trash.

Mussels can also be foraged on The Beach. They appear on the sand alongside other beach forage, so a walk along the shore can add a few more.

Crab Pots unlock at Fishing level 3. Crafting one takes 40 Wood and 3 Iron Bars, or Willy sells them for 1,500g. The Trapper profession makes them cheaper to craft.

Prices

The Mussel is worth very little on its own. The Fisher and Angler professions add a quarter or a half to its price. A Fish Smoker doubles the value to 60g, but that still costs a piece of Coal for a small gain. Smoking is the simplest way to turn a Mussel into food, since Crab Pot catches only become edible through cooking or smoking.

In a Fish Pond, Mussels breed every single day, so a pond fills up very quickly. Three Mussels fit at first, and three requests raise the pond's limit to ten. The first asks for 5 Clay. The second asks for 10 Bug Meat or 5 Quartz. The last asks for a Sea Urchin, 5 Solar Essence or Wild Bait.

Mussel Roe sells for 45g, and a Preserves Jar turns it into Aged Roe worth 90g. Roe only appears on some days, and the pond often produces Seaweed or beach trash instead. With five or more Mussels, Coral and Sea Urchins can appear. A pond with nine or more can also yield a Warp Totem: Beach or a Nautilus Shell.

Uses

The Mussel is an option in the Crab Pot Bundle in the Fish Tank. Any five of the listed shellfish complete it, and the reward is three Crab Pots.

Cooking a Mussel with a Crayfish, a Periwinkle and a Tomato makes Fish Stew. Willy mails the recipe at seven hearts of friendship. The stew restores a lot of energy and gives a Fishing +3 buff.

The Island Trader on the north side of Ginger Island swaps a Mango Sapling for 75 Mussels. That makes it worth stockpiling Mussels from pots and foraging well before reaching the island.

The Raccoon at the Giant Stump in Cindersap Forest can also ask for Mussels as part of its first request.

Like any fish, the Mussel works in Sashimi, Maki Roll and Quality Fertilizer. Sashimi in particular sells for more than the Mussel itself.

Cooking Mussel with the other ingredients below makes these dishes.

Dish	Image	Ingredients
Fish Stew		Crayfish (1), Mussel (1), Periwinkle (1), Tomato (1)

Gifts

Evelyn likes the Mussel. That sets it apart from most fish, which she hates.

The older villagers Demetrius, Linus and Pam count Mussel as a neutral gift. Willy and Leo feel neutral about it too. So does Sebastian.

Among those who dislike Mussel are the Dwarf, Krobus, Sandy and the Wizard. The same goes for the shopkeepers Clint, Gus, Marnie and Robin, and for Abigail, Alex, Emily, Harvey, Leah, Maru, Penny, Sam and Shane. The older residents Caroline, George, Jodi, Kent and Lewis dislike it as well, as do Jas and Vincent.

Haley and Pierre hate it.

Notes

Do not sell early Mussels. Set aside one for the Crab Pot Bundle and one for Fish Stew, then keep the rest in a chest. The stack grows quickly toward the 75 needed for the Mango Sapling.

All Crab Pot Catches

Every entry in this group, with its key details.

Name	Location	Season	Price
Clam	-	All	50g
Cockle	-	All	50g
Crab	-	All	100g
Crayfish	-	All	75g
Lobster	-	All	120g
Mussel	-	All	30g
Oyster	-	All	40g
Periwinkle	-	All	20g
Shrimp	-	All	60g
Snail	-	All	65g