Crassostrea virginica   (Gmelin, 1791)

American cupped oyster

Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Crassostrea virginica  AquaMaps  Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Crassostrea virginica

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS

Bivalvia | Ostreida | Ostreidae

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Benthic; brackish; depth range 0 - 79 m (Ref. 83435).  Subtropical, preferred 22°C (Ref. 107945)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Western Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Introduced in Northeast Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 30.0 cm SHH male/unsexed; (Ref. 271); max. reported age: 2.00 years (Ref. 2823)

Short description Morphology

Diagnostic features: Shell thick and heavy, usually narrow and elongate, but extremely variable in shape. Upper valve flatter, smaller than lower valve; lower valve convex. Shell shape and outline variable. Shell margins undulating straight. Umbones long and curved. Colour: dirty to light grey, internally white with muscle scar deep purple (Ref. 271).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

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Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Gonochoristic (separate male and females). After external fertilization, the developing larvae or veliger settles to the bottom after a time in the plankton stage. First spawning usually occurs when oyster is two years of age (Ref. 3248).

Main reference References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Carpenter, K.E. (ed.). 2002. (Ref. 271)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES status (Ref. 108899)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial
FAO - Aquaculture: production, species profile; Fisheries: landings, species profile | FishSource | Sea Around Us

Tools

E-book | Field guide

More information

Trophic Ecology
Food items
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Predators
Ecology
Ecology
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Population dynamics
Growth
Age/Size
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
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Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Fecundity
Spawning
Eggs
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Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
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Occurrences
Introductions
Human Related
Aquaculture profile
Stamps, Coins Misc.
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Taxonomy
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Synonyms
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References
References

Internet sources

BHL | BOLD Systems | CISTI | DiscoverLife | FAO(Aquaculture: species profile; Fisheries: species profile; publication : search) | Fishipedia | GenBank (genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | Gomexsi | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | PubMed | Tree of Life | Wikipedia (Go, Search) | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 7.7 - 27.5, mean 23.5 (based on 794 cells).
Prior r = 0.72, 95% CL = 0.47 - 1.07, Based on 1 full stock assessment.
Vulnerability (Ref. 71543): Low to moderate vulnerability (26 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766): Low.
Nutrients :  Calcium = 149 [71, 228] mg/100g; Iron = 8.53 [1.95, 15.11] mg/100g; Protein = 9.88 [8.64, 11.12] %; Omega3 = 0.313 [0.202, 0.423] g/100g; Selenium = 61 [50, 72] μg/100g; VitaminA = 0 μg/100g; Zinc = 2.04 [0.56, 3.51] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.

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