Crassostrea gigas (Portuguese Oyster)

Home Biology Description Gallery
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Pelecypoda
Family: Ostreidae
Crassostrea gigas is a non-native oyster that was introduced for farming in the early half of the last century but has since escaped into the wider environment. Larger than the native Ostrea edulis, growing up to 300mm in length, C.gigas now dominates some parts of the lower littoral and sub-littoral to the exclusion of O.edulis.
(This will open in a new page.)