Rock oyster
| Rock oyster | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Ostreida |
| Superfamily: | Ostreoidea |
| Family: | Ostreidae |
| Genus: | Saccostrea Dollfus & Dautzenberg, 1920 |
| Type species | |
| † Ostrea saccellus Dujardin, 1837
| |
| Synonyms | |
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Rock oysters are true oysters of the genus Saccostrea, belonging to the subfamily Saccostreinae of the family Ostreidae. Depending on the environmental factors and the substrates it is found in, individuals can vary greatly in size. They feed on phytoplankton and detritus.
Probably the best-known species is the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata).