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Pearls of Wisdom

How much do you know about the Eastern oyster ( Crassostrea virginica )?

How much do you know about the Eastern oyster ( Crassostrea virginica )?

1. Juvenile oysters are called:
Oysterettes
Half-shells
Spat
Dermobait

2. Two parasites that threaten the Bay's oysters are:
MSX & Dermo
Shellrot & Spat
Scallopit & RQ7
Toxene & Pfiesteria

3. The vessel associated with oyster harvesting in the Chesapeake Bay is called a:
Square Sail
Skipjack
Shallop
Schooner

4. An oystercatcher is:
A type of rake used to catch oysters
The name given to watermen specializing in oysters
A wading bird
An oyster-eating whelk

5. The trochophore is:
The early larval stage of the oyster
An oyster parasite
The water level at which oysters are most productive
Gauge used to measure an oyster's health

6. Although a very large oyster may spawn up to 100 million eggs, the routine oyster spawns:
10-20 million eggs
20-35 million eggs
35-50 million eggs
50-75 million eggs

7. The oyster belongs to which phylum?
Mollusca
Oysteria
Clammeria
Pearlite

8. Oysters generally reach harvestable size (about 3 inches) at about what age:
1 year
3 years
5 years
7 years

9. An oyster can change its sex.
False
True, but only once in a lifetime
True, in fact, several times in successive seasons

10. A large oyster may spawn:
Once in a lifetime
Once every two years
Once a year
Several times a year

11. Oysters eat:
Microorganisms
Phytoplankton
Both Microorganisms & Phytoplankton
Zooplankton

12. Which predators eat oysters?
Humans
Oyster drills
Starfish
All of the above

13. The best substrate for an oyster reef to develop on is:
A sandy bottom
An SAV bed
Oyster shells
Gravel and rocks

14. In pre-colonial days, oysters were so abundant that it is thought they could filter the entire Bay in:
A few hours
A few days
A few weeks
A few months

15. About how long do scientists think it would take today's oyster population to filter the entire Bay?
About 6 months
About a year
About three years
About a decade

Score =
Correct answers:

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About Karl Blankenship

Karl Blankenship is editor of the Bay Journal and Executive Director of Chesapeake Media Service. He has served as editor of the Bay Journal since its inception in 1991. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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