Major Life Stages
|
External Ferilization Oysters exhibit external fertilization. This means sperm unites with an egg cell in the open rather than inside specialized organs within the bodies of the parents.
They are born with sexual organs that can produce both semen and eggs. However, they can only produce only sperm, or only eggs at one time.
|
Principal Habitats for Stages in Life CycleOysters are typically found in estuaries, sounds, bays, and tidal creeks from brackish water, to full strength seawater.
During the first stage of an oyster’s life, when it is a floating fertilized egg, it floats around in shallow waters. until it becomes a swimming straight-hinge veliger. It stays in the same habitat of shallow water while transitioning to a swimming straight-hinge veliger and swimming late veliger.
When it becomes a swimming and crawling pediveliger, its habitat slightly changes towards deeper parts of the water near the floor.
Lastly, they settle by attaching to oyster shells or other hard structures on the ocean floor, becoming a spat.
|
Advantages of Habitat
- Oyster reefs provide essential habitat for a diverse collection of aquatic animals, including many important commercial and recreational fish species. One healthy oyster reef can be home to more than an estimated 300 different adult and juvenile organisms including southern flounder, shrimp, clams, and blue crabs.
- Oyster reefs support the production of more crabs and fin fish valued of over $62 million annually.
- As filter feeders, oysters remove harmful pollution, sediments, and excess algae from the water. As adults is capable of filtering between 15-35 gallons of water a day. They also provide an important link in estuaries food web by transferring nutrients from the surface to the bottom.
Sources
"Oysters." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Dec. 2015. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "Oysters Life Cycle." Horn Point Lab Oyster Hatchery. Horn Point Lab Oyster Hatchery, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. "SCORE." Oyster Biology & Ecology. South Carolina Oyster Recreation and Enhancement, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "Oysters Life Cycle." Horn Point Lab Oyster Hatchery. Horn Point Lab Oyster Hatchery, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. "SCORE." Oyster Biology & Ecology. South Carolina Oyster Recreation and Enhancement, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.