The (''Crassostrea virginica''), also known as the '''American Oyster''', '''Atlantic Oyster''', or the '''Virginia Oyster''', is a
Species of
Oyster that is native to the Eastern Seaboard of
North America . It is also
Farmed in the
Puget Sound of
Washington , where it is known as the '''Totten Inlet Virginica'''.
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Like all oysters, ''Crassostrea virginica'' is a hard
Shellfish that comes in several different sizes, usually 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 inches) long. It has hard edges that supply a tough shield against predators. They are popular on the market, so much so that only 1% remain of their original numbers when the early colonists came to America during the
Sixteenth Century .
Many people don't realize that these particular type of oysters have an important environmental value. Like all oysters, ''Crassostrea virginica'' is a
Filter Feeder . They suck in water and filter out the
Plankton and detritus to swallow, then spit the water back out, thus cleaning the water around them and getting rid of much of eastern Chesapeake Bay's notorious water pollution.
People catch and eat these oysters, mainly in the spring, and (in
Maryland ) catch about 35,000 to 40,000
Bushel s (1,200 to 1,400 m³) of oysters a year. This has resulted in the decline of the numbers of ''C. virginica''.
"''Dermo''" (''
Perkinsus Marinus '') is marine disease of oysters, caused by a
Protozoa n
Parasite . It is a prevalent
Pathogen of oysters, causing massive mortality in oyster populations and poses a significant economic threat to the oyster industry.
The Eastern Oysters, like all members of the family
Ostreidae , can make small
Pearl s to surround particles that enter the shell. However these pearls are insignificant in size and of no value; the
Pearl Oyster , from which commercial pearls are harvested, is of a different family.
