The Edible Oyster

Abstract

Oysters come under the Class Bivalvia which encompasses aquatic molluscs that show a fundamental bilateral symmetry. Oysters inhabit the littoral and shallow subtidal areas and their distribution extends to a wide range of ecosystems including the coral reefs, mangroves and rocky shores. Unlike the mussels and scallops which attach by byssus threads, the oysters are cemented by the left valve to the substrate.