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Oyster

Type: Invertebrate
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in captivity: Up to 20 years
Size: 3 in (8 cm) to 14 in (36 cm)
Group name: Colony, Bed, or Reef

Although it is possible for food oysters to produce pearls, they should not be confused with actual pearl oysters, which are from a different family of bivalves. True oysters, which belong to the Ostreidae family, are found throughout the world’s oceans, usually in shallow waters and in colonies called beds or reefs.

Oyster video.

What does a Oyster look like?
Oyster shells are usually oval or pear-shaped, but will vary widely in form depending on what they attach to. They are generally whitish-gray in outer shell color, and their inside shell is usually a porcelain white. They have extremely strong adductor muscles to close their shells when threatened.

Where do Oysters live?
The Eastern American oyster is found in Atlantic waters from Canada to Argentina, the Pacific oyster is found from Japan to Washington state and as far south as Australia.

What does a Oyster eat?
Oysters feed by extracting algae and other food particles from the water they are almost constantly drawing over their gills. They reproduce when the water warms by broadcast spawning, and will change gender once or more during their lifetime.