Major Stages in the Life Cycle of an Oyster
- First, the egg and the sperm fuse in the ocean. The fertilized egg eventually develops into larvae.
- This free-swimming larvae lives in the water column and follows the currents in search of its food, phytoplankton
- During this time the larvae undergoes several developmental stages. This process lasts about two weeks
- During the final developmental stage the larvae develops an appendage called a foot. It uses this foot to crawl over the ocean's floor
- Eventually the larvae finds a suitable resting place, usually a shell, and secretes a glue like substance to attach itself to the shell.
- This young oyster is called a spat. It uses all its energy from its food to increase its shell size and to eventually begin to develop sperm and eggs.
- Oysters are hermaphrodites, meaning they can be male or female.
- After about a year, many oysters start out as males and release sperm into the water
- After two or three years in some oyster species these males become females and release eggs into the water
- The eggs and sperm these oysters release will combine with eggs or sperm from other oyster and the process begins again