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| Pacific Oysters | |
| What is an Oyster? An oyster is a shellfish with 2 rough shells that hook together at one end. (The narrow end.) The oyster has strong muscles which hold the shell shut. It is very difficult for predators (like people) to pry open the shell. Be careful, the shell is sharp and can cut you! |
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How do they grow their shells? Oyster shells are made of calcium carbonate (lime). The oysters must get this from the water they live in. They also have a sort of skin, called a mantle, which spreads to this calcium carbonate on the outside of their bodies to form a protective shell. Oysters are born as free swimming microscopic organisms. Once they grow their shells, they cant move around anymore. |
| Feeding? Oysters are filter feeders. They suck water in and filter out the plankton and detritus to swallow. Then they spit the water back out. Oysters have gills and get their oxygen from the water. |
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How do Oysters Breathe? Oysters breathe much like fish, using both gills and mantle. The mantle is lined with many small, thin-walled blood vessels which extract oxygen from the water and expel carbon dioxide. A small, three chambered heart, lying under the abductor muscle, pumps colourless blood, with its supply or oxygen, to all parts of the body. At the same time a pair of kidneys located on the underside of the muscle purify the blood of any waste products it has collected. |
| What about pearls? The oysters mantle (skin) makes both an outer white crusty shell, and a smooth inner shell. The smooth inner part is called narce. Sometimes a bit of sand gets inside the oysters shell. This is very irritating to the oyster. So the oyster covers this bit of dirt with shiny smooth nacre. It keeps covering the dirt and rolling it around until it doesnt cause any more irritation. This makes a pearl!
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DID YOU KNOW Pacific oysters were introduced from Japan. They develop first as males, and after a year begin to function as females. |
| DESCRIPTION: Rough shell that is highly fluted and laminated. Shells are usually whitish with purple streaks and spots. Can reach 10 inches in length. |
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Scientific Name: - CRASSOSTREA GIGAS |
The name oyster is written in other languages as follows: Dutch-----------oester French----------huitre German---------Auster Greek-----------ostrea Icelandic-------ostra Italian-----------ostrica Japanese------kaki Portuguese---ostra Spanish--------ostra, ostion Swedish-------ostron Turkish---------istiridye If your language is not here, please contact us and we will add it to our list. |
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