Yes, I know, oysters are not the most fancy group to study but maybe someone
out-there can help me with the following: On floating objects like plastic
fish boxes or other plastic debris stranding on the beaches of the southern
North Sea sometimes typical oysters can be found. They are of a bright dark
red (at least when wet en cleaned a bit), with faint yellow radiations. They
are flat and fragile. The maximum length of the specimens that have been
found on the European beaches is about 4 cm. These oysters have been named
Ostrea edulis or Pycnodonte cochlear, but they are definitely not Ostrea
edulis. Now they are tentatively known as Ostrea (or Crassostrea or whatever
genus) denticulata Born, a species said of southern, West African(?) origin.

I have never seen specimens of O. denticulata so I am not sure if those
oysters could really be (young) O. denticulata or yet another species. So,
can somebody help me out of this enigma. Thanks

Francis

For those interested, I can provide photographs.


************************************************
Francis KERCKHOF
MUMM, Marine Environmental Management Section
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

3e en 23e Linieregimentsplein
B-8400 Oostende
Belgium
tel.:+32 (0)59/24.20.56
fax:+32 (0)59/70.49.35

visit us at  http://www.mumm.ac.be
************************************************

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