Magallana Gigas Oyster Seed WA

The introduced Pacific oyster or Japanese oyster, M. gigas, is an estuarine species, but can also be found in intertidal and subtidal zones. They prefer to attach to hard or rocky surfaces in shallow or sheltered waters up to 40 m deep, but have been known to attach to muddy or sandy areas when the preferred habitat is scarce. The Pacific oyster can also be found on the shells of other animals. Larvae often settle on the shell of adults, and great masses of oysters can grow together to form oyster reefs.

• The optimum salinity for Pacific oysters is between 20 and 35 parts per thousand,
• they can tolerate salinities as high as 38 ppt, at this level however, reproduction is unlikely to occur. 
• The Pacific oyster is also a very temperature tolerant species, it can withstand a range of −1.8 °C to 35 °C.
• Spawning initiation in the Pacific oyster occurs at 20 °C.
• This species is very fecund, with females releasing about 50 to 200 million eggs at regular intervals of 5 to 10 times a minute in a single spawning. In males, sperm is released along with the normal exhalant stream of water.
• Broodstock adults are held in tanks at 20 °C to 22 °C, supplied with cultured algae and with salinities of 25 ppt to 32 ppt.
• The pelagic veliger larval stage lasts from 14 to 18 days. In the hatcheries, they are kept at temperatures of 25 °C to 28 °C with an optimum salinity between 20% and 25%. Early stage veligers are fed daily with flagellated algal species (Isochrysis galbana or Pavlova lutherii) along with diatom species (either Chaetoceros calcitrans or Thalassiosira pseudonana).
• Growth from spat to adults in this species of bivalve is very rapid at temperatures of 15 °C to 25 °C and at salinities of 25 ppt to 32 ppt.
• In optimum environmental conditions market size can be achieved in 18 to 30 months.
• Unharvested Pacific oysters can live up to 30 years.

Reproductive diploids and faster growing sterile triploids are available to suit your sea farming operations.

These juvenile oysters are bred in Sequim, WA, honoring the aquaculture heritage of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.