Pacific Oyster
April 30, 2008
The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas), is the native oyster of the Pacific coast of Korea, Japan and China. It has been introduced to North America, especially in Puget Sound, Washington, and to the Australian states of Tasmania and South Australia. It is an important commercial harvest in all of these places, as well as New Zealand where the Pacific oyster has replaced the native rock oyster, Crassostrea glomerata, as the main commercial species.
The Pacific oyster is an invasive species in the Wadden Sea, out-competing native mussels such as the blue mussel.