1. The oyster has been around for 25 million years.

2. A treatise was written in China on oysters in 850 BC.

3. The oyster was a staple of the Native North American diet.

4. One serving = 6 oysters

5. Oysters should have a mild odour, similar to the ocean.

6. The French remain the most prolific consumers of oysters.

7. The oyster is considered an aphrodisiac.

8. Female oyster produces from 10 million to 100 million eggs a year.

9. Barely 1 in a million baby oysters will survive.

10. Oysters can switch sexes.

11. There is no way of telling male from female oysters by looking at their shells.

12. Most oysters have both male and female reproductive organs.

13. Zygotes are baby oysters.

14. After 3 months a baby oyster is the size of a dime.

15. When the baby oyster cements itself to a surface it is called spatting.

16. Brood are oysters which are half an inch or more.

17. After a year, a new oyster is ready to reproduce.

18. Oysters filter water through gills.

19. Oysters extract nutrients from plankton it filters through its gills.

20. A 3 inch oyster can filter more than 3 gallons of water every hour.

21. In winter, oysters close their shells and hibernate.

22. In winter, oysters can live off their fat & liquor in their shells for weeks.

23. Oyster is a bivalve with a 2-part hinged shell.

24. Choice oysters have a rounded shape.

25. The elastic hinge (at the back of the oyster) keeps shells open in the water.

26. The mouth of the oyster is located at the hinge.

27. Cilla are fine hairs that sweep food toward the mouth.

28. Mantle is the thin membrane surrounding the body of the oyster.

29. Mantle excretes nacre, a liquid which creates an oyster's shell from the inside.

30. An oyster shell is formed layer by layer.

31. Each layer of the oyster shell is no thicker than tissue paper.

32. It is the adductor muscle which makes oysters hard to open.

33. Oysters have 4 sets of gills to extract oxygen & food from water.

34. The oyster has a small 3 chambered heart, lying under the adductor muscle.

35. Heart valve pumps liquor around the oyster.

36. The heart of the oyster pumps colourless blood.

37. Oysters poop - it's called pseudofeces (it's good for you).

38. Oysters are not bottom feeders as most people think.

39. Oysters filter plankton and algae directly from the water.

40. Oysters need fresh (sweet) water.

41. Oysters are filter feeders.

42. Percentage of salt in water affects meat's flavour & texture.

43. Oysters grown in saltier bays have a brighter flavour.

44. Oysters are low in cholesterol.

45. Oysters contain high levels of zinc.

46. Oysters are high in Omega-3 fatty acids.

47. Oysters are an excellent source of Vitamins A,B,C & D.

48. Oysters are loaded with iron, magnesium, calcium & zinc.

49. Oysters are a good source of protein.

50. 120 gram serving of oysters contains only 80 calories & 2 grams of fat.

51. Oyster is a sustainable resource that keeps the environment healthy.

52. Oysters keep plankton growth in check.

53. Oyster flavours change with seasons and location.

54. The elastic hinge (at the back of the oyster) keeps the shells open in water.

55. American oyster is called the CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA.

56.Oysters from colder climates have a brighter, more briny flavour.

57.Southern oysters have a milder flavour.

58.The American oyster can take 3-7 years to reach market size of 3 inches.

59. Any oyster from PEI can be called a Malpeque.

60. In 1898, the Malpeque won gold at the World's Fair in Paris.

61. Out of water and refrigerated oysters drop their metabolism and hibernate.

62. There are many types of oysters.

63. Choice oyster - easiest to open and best looking oyster with a rounded shape.

64. Standard oyster - thinner longer shell and harder to open.

65. Live oysters need to breathe, never store in airtight container.

66. Cover oysters with a clean wet towel in refrigerator so shells don't dry out.

67. France produces 130,000 tons of oysters annually.

68. It takes a pull of over 20 pounds to open the shell of a 3 inch oyster.

69. Some oysters found in the Maritimes are over 100 years old.

70. Oysters are a sea animal that lack a backbone.

71. Oysters’ enemies are starfish and rock crabs.

72. A baby oyster the size of a grain of pepper will cement itself to an object and stay there for the rest of its life.

73. Oysters will tolerate a temperature range of -2 to 32 deg. Celcius.

74. PEI is the leading oyster producing province in Canada.

75. The Federal Dept. of Fisheries & Oceans manages leases in P.E.I.

76. PEI produces 6 million pounds of oysters per year.

77. PEI holds the annual Canadian Oyster Shucking Championships.

78. Conchology is the collection and study of mollusc shells.

79. Malacology is the science dealing with the study of molluscs.

80
. The most famous oyster recipe, Oysters Rockefeller, originated in New Orleans, Louisiana at Antoine’s Restaurant in 1899.

 
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