How do native oysters live & reproduce?
Like other bivalves, oysters are filter feeders; they eat microorganisms (dinoflagellates, diatoms, bacteria, etc.) and decaying plant and animal matter that are brought to them by currents. Female Natives Oysters produce eggs that they hold in the mantle cavity inside their shell. Nearby male oysters produce sperm balls, which rupture to release spermatozoa when they contact the sea water. Spermatozoa are dispersed by currents and drawn into the female’s shell with respiration. Fertilized eggs develop into free-swimming larvae that are released a couple of weeks later. Larvae actively feed on plankton, tiny plants and animals that drift with the currents. However, after about one to two weeks the larvae give up this lifestyle and attach to a hard surface; this process is called spatting. After about 22 to 30 weeks, the newly ‘spatted’ oysters reach sexual maturity. Native Oysters are alternating hermaphrodites, meaning they switch between having female and male reproductive organs thr
