ANATOMY OF THE; OYSTER 



Photo from Dr. Hugh M. Smith 



"It is an astonishing biological fact that in some species of oyster each sex is repre- 

 sented by a different individual, as in the oyster of the Atlantic coast of North America; 

 while in other species both sexes are united in one individual — the male stage alternating 

 with the female, as in the common oyster of the Atlantic coast of Europe" (see text, 

 page 257). 



the peculiar susceptibility of oysters to 

 increase and improvement by artificial 

 means. 



THi; OYSTER HAS MANY ENEMIES 



The human animal is not the only one 

 that looks with favor upon the edible 

 qualities of the oyster. At every stage 

 in its career it is attacked by a horde of 

 dangerous enemies, some of which are 

 most destructive after the oyster has put 

 on its stoutest armor and would seem to 

 be almost invulnerable. Before it be- 

 comes attached, the delicate oyster, fry is 

 extensively consumed by adult oysters 

 and various other shellfish, as well as by 

 fishes like the menhaden, which are able 

 to strain their food from the water. 

 When the oyster attains its shell, a new 



set of shellfish enemies, provided with 

 drills, begin their attacks and extract the 

 soft parts through minute holes made in 

 valves. In some localities various snail- 

 like mollusks do immense damage to the 

 beds of oysters in their first year. 



The oyster growers of Long Island 

 Sound and adjacent waters suffer large 

 losses from the inroads of starfishes, 

 which come in from deep water and 

 move in waves over the bottom, devour- 

 ing every oyster in their path and some- 

 times destroying several hundred thou- 

 sand bushels of marketable oysters in 

 one State in a single season. It is re- 

 markable that a weak creature like the 

 common starfish should be able to prey 

 on an animal so strongly fortified as an 

 oyster. The starfish acts by attaching; 



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260 



