Pilipit susong (Agurong-Tabagwang) Jagora asperata Pachychilidae water snails, freshwater snails with a conical spiraling black shell; a common black freshwater mollusc with an extended spiral shell; and Halaan Venerupis philippinarum sea clams from Isabela province shown at Barangay, Tangos, Luzon. They are found in large colonies near fast-moving streams where they feed on algae and other plants growing in the water. The shells are used by farmers to mark their land. The Agorong has become extinct in the wild but is cultivated for its meat and shell. Agoro means saltwater in Filipino. When harvested young, it can be eaten raw or cooked. The meat is white like that of lobster. It tastes somewhat like shrimp but is much cheaper. The skin is also edible and sometimes used as food wrapper. The liver contains more iron than beef liver. The stomach contents include undigested seeds from plants the snail ate. Agoro production is limited because these snails take about three years to mature enough to be harvestable. Also, the habitat needs to be protected because if it is polluted or destroyed, the snails will die out. The arrival of the Spanish led to the introduction of new species to the Philippines which caused many local species to go extinct.