Kenneth Roberson, age 11, of Kernorsvlo, G., for his question:
How does the oyster develop?
The oyster begins life as an egg. Its parents are very fussy about the temperature of the water when they launch their young. It must be between 66 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Off New England, egg laying season starts in early July. In the Gulf of Mexico it goes on from March to November.
Each egg is a cell from a Mama Oyster and a Papa Oyster. Mama pours up to nine million of her egg calls into the water at one time. Papa’s sperm cells are all poured into the water. Some of the male and female cells meet and pair off to form eggs. These little eggs measure about 500 to an inch. Strange to say, by next season the mother oyster may have changed into a father oyster. During the winter, the father oyster may turn into a mother. Each year this turn‑about happens to about one parent oyster in tens.
The floating cells and the eggs in the water live a very dangerous life. They drift with the plankton, the sea food salad of algae and tiny creatures which is the staple diet for many fish. All the single cells perish and most of the egg cells. Only one little egg in four million has a chance to grow up.
About five hours after each egg is formed it hatches. It is now a glassy little larva. In a day and a half, each tiny larva begins to build its house. Six days later, the soft little body is shut inside two fragile shells. For the first three weeks of its life, the larva is a swimmer. It looks like a midget watermelon seed with a shaggy wig at one end. The shaggy wig is a fringe of hairs which fan the little larva through the water.
At the age of three weeks, the larva is ready to settle down. He sinks to the bottom, hoping to find a hard, clean surface. If he falls into mud or slime he is doomed. For he will suffocate unless he has a supply of clean water. Our baby oyster has a chance to survive if he lands on an old shell, s smooth rock or the posts of a pier. Oyster farmers cast shells on the sea floor to help the youngsters get started.
Once settled in a good home, the oyster never moves. Right away he secretes a hard cement which fixes him firmly to the spot. He squats there, letting the water flow between his shells. The water circulates through his body carrying oxygen and tiny particles of food. His favorite food is salad, tiny bits of sea wood and the beautiful one‑celled plants called diatoms.
From here in, our oyster has an easy life. Food and oxygen rare served to him by the sea. True, he has some enemies, notably the starfish who can pry open his shells. But once settled, our little fellow has a good chance to live a contented, easy life.
At the age of one month, the young oyster is a quarter of an inch long. He grows fast, extending his house every year. In three or four years his shell house measures about four inches. Our oyster is ready for the market.