Pacific oyster

Magallana gigas

The Pacific oyster is a hard-shelled bivalve native to the western Pacific. It attaches to firm surfaces and filters microscopic food from coastal water.

Not a fish · an aquatic neighbor

Water

Saltwater + Brackish

Intertidal and shallow coastal waters on firm bottoms, reefs, and estuaries.

Temperature

Range not established

A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not found; values are left unreported.

Size

Typically 8–40 cm (3–16 in), up to about 30 cm (12 in)

A large one can be about the length of a dinner plate

Lifespan

Up to about 10 years

Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.

01 · Signature adaptation

What does it do?

Adults remain fixed to their settlement surface and may form dense clusters or reefs. Its free-swimming larvae drift before settling and cementing themselves to a hard surface.

Its superpowerIt can thrive across a wide range of coastal conditions and reach market size quickly.

02 · Home coordinates

Where does it live?

Native to the western Pacific, especially Japan, Korea, China, and the Russian Far East; introduced and farmed in many other coastal regions.

Regions: Japan · Korea · China · Russian Far East · introduced coastlines worldwide

03 · The menu

What does it eat?

It filters tiny organisms and particles from seawater through its gills.

filter feeder: phytoplankton, microalgae, suspended organic particles.

04 · Remember this

Two wow facts

Global traveler

It is native to the western Pacific but has been introduced and farmed across many temperate coastlines.

Sources [1] [2]

Reef provider

Clusters of Pacific oysters can form reefs that provide habitat for fish and other invertebrates.

Sources [1]