Eastern oyster
Oyster bed on Cockspur Island, Georgia, US.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Bivalvia Order: Ostreoida Family: Ostreidae Genus: Crassostrea Species: C. virginica
Binomial name
Crassostrea virginica Gmelin, 1791

The Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, also known as the American oyster, Atlantic oyster, or the Virginia oyster, is a species of oyster that is native to the eastern seaboard of North America. It is also farmed in Puget Sound, Washington, where it is known as the Totten Inlet Virginica. ^[1] Eastern oysters are and have been very popular commercially, so much so that only 1% of the number that existed when the early colonists came to America in the sixteenth century now remains^{[citation needed]}. The Eastern oyster is the state shellfish of Connecticut,^[2] and its shell is the state shell of Virginia and Mississippi. The monument erected on the island where John Wesley first landed in America. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora Monoplacophora Bivalvia Scaphopoda Gastropoda Cephalopoda † Rostroconchia The mollusks or molluscs are the large and diverse phylum Mollusca, which includes a variety of familiar creatures well-known for their decorative shells or as seafood. ... Subclasses Anomalosdesmata Cryptodonta Heterodonta Paleoheterodonta Palaeotaxodonta Pteriomorphia and see text Mussels in the intertidal zone in Cornwall, England. ... Genera Crassostrea Hyotissa Lopha Ostrea Saccostrea et al The members of the family Ostreidae are the true oysters, and include all the species that are commonly eaten under the title oyster. They do not include the Pearl Oysters; these species are only distantly related to the true oysters, since although... Latin name redirects here. ... Johann Friedrich Gmelin (August 8, 1748 - November 1, 1804) was a German naturalist and botanist. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Oyster (disambiguation). ... North American redirects here. ... Workers harvest catfish from the Delta Pride Catfish farms in Mississippi Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic organisms. ... Puget Sound For the university in this region, see University of Puget Sound. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[2] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[3] Area  Ranked 48th in the US  - Total 5,543[4] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... This is a list of official state shells:[1] References ^ List of all state shells http://www. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Description

Main article: Oyster#Physical characteristics

Like all oysters, Crassostrea virginica is a hard shellfish that comes in several different sizes, usually 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 inches) long. It has hard edges that supply a tough shield against predators. For other uses, see Oyster (disambiguation). ... Cooked mussels Shellfish is a term used to describe shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. ... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

This particular type of oyster has an important environmental value. Like all oysters, Crassostrea virginica is a filter feeder. They suck in water and filter out the plankton and detritus to swallow, then spit the water back out, thus cleaning the water around them and getting rid of much of the eastern Chesapeake Bay's notorious water pollution. Filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized structure, such as the baleen of baleen whales. ... This article is about the real-life under-sea organisms. ...

The Eastern oyster, like all members of the family Ostreidae, can make small pearls to surround particles that enter the shell. However these pearls are insignificant in size and of no value; the pearl oyster, from which commercial pearls are harvested, is of a different family. Genera Crassostrea Hyotissa Lopha Ostrea Saccostrea et al The members of the family Ostreidae are the true oysters, and include all the species that are commonly eaten under the title oyster. They do not include the Pearl Oysters; these species are only distantly related to the true oysters, since although... For other uses, see Pearl (disambiguation). ... Species Pinctada maxima Pinctada margaritifera Pinctada fucata Pinctada radiata Pinctada albina Pinctada virens Pinctada chemnitzi Pinctada maculata Pinctada nigra Pinctada atropurpurea Pinctada laosensis Pinctada martensi The Pearl Oysters are the genus Pinctada of bivalve molluscs. ...

Commercial value

Main article: Oyster#Oysters as food

The Eastern oyster used to be of great commercial value. Due to the steep decline in the number of oysters in various traditionally harvested areas due to pollution, overfishing, and diseases; the annual harvest has significantly declined. In Maryland, the current catch is about 35,000 to 40,000 bushels (1,200 to 1,400 m³) of oysters a year^{[citation needed]}. Other regions of the east coast of the United States have successful oyster farms, including most notably Cotuit and Wellfleet on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. For other uses, see Oyster (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... A table of weights from the secretaries of the different states, showing the no. ... Oyster farming on Willapa Bay, Washington Oyster farming is an aquaculture practice in which oysters are raised for human consumption. ... Wellfleet is a town located in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. ... This article is about the area of Massachusetts known as Cape Cod. For other uses, see Cape Cod (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Diseases

"Dermo" (Perkinsus marinus) is a marine disease of oysters, caused by a protozoan parasite. It is a prevalent pathogen of oysters, causing massive mortality in oyster populations and poses a significant economic threat to the oyster industry. Perkinsus marinus is a prevalent pathogen of oysters, causing massive mortality in oyster populations. ... Leishmania donovani, (a species of protozoan) in a bone marrow cell (in Greek proto = first and zoa = animals) are one-celled eukaryotes (that is, unicellular microbes whose cells have membrane-bound nuclei) that commonly show characteristics usually associated with animals, mobility and heterotrophy. ... A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... A pathogen (from Greek pathos, suffering/emotion, and gene, to give birth to), infectious agent, or more commonly germ, is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. ...

Another disease which has decimated the Eastern oyster is MSX (Haplosporidium nelsoni). MSX is a single-celled protozoan parasite. It is not known to be harmful to humans but it is transmissible from oyster to oyster. How this is done is not known because the life cycle of this parasite is not fully understood. MSX disease caused massive oyster mortalities in Delaware Bay in 1957 and in Chesapeake Bay in 1959. The parasite has been found from Florida to Maine but has not been associated with mortalities in all areas. About 30 years ago, MSX was described in oysters from Connecticut waters. Leishmania donovani, (a species of protozoan) in a bone marrow cell (in Greek proto = first and zoa = animals) are one-celled eukaryotes (that is, unicellular microbes whose cells have membrane-bound nuclei) that commonly show characteristics usually associated with animals, mobility and heterotrophy. ... A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is a large esturarial inlet of the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Delaware River along the coast of the United States. ... The Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[2] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[3] Area  Ranked 48th in the US  - Total 5,543[4] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ...

MSX arrived with the Pacific oyster, C. gigas, which was introduced into Chesapeake Bay in the 1950's to restock the Chesapeake Bay's declining oyster population. The introduction of MSX further damaged the oyster populations, which are now barely viable. Currently, researchers are looking at the potential of introducing a disease-resistant Asian species of oyster into the Chesapeake Bay.

See also

• Oyster

For other uses, see Oyster (disambiguation). ...

References