Oyster Reproduction 101

One of the most commonly asked questions I receive while shucking oysters at parties are, how do oysters reproduce?

Very differently from you and I. Oysters are not exactly male or female. They are protandric which means they can change from male to female over their life. Oysters start off as male and then turn to female for the majority of their lifespan.

During an oysters spawning season, the young male releases his sperm and the older females release their eggs. Sometimes up to hundreds of million eggs. One the met they develop larvae.

Larvae takes 6 hours to develop and a few weeks to settle into another oyster shell or rocky place. Now they are spat and take one year to mature. Once mature they can begin reproducing yet not always ready to be harvested for consumption.

Why are Gulf oysters less expensive?

For many of us reared in Texas, your first and only oyster experience may likely be from our Texas shore, the large Gulf oyster. Gone are the days of the 50 cent all you can eat Gulf oyster bars; yet these are still much more affordable than are neighboring Pacific or Atlantic oysters.

Why is that? Well, sure, Texas Gulf oysters aren’t being imported, though they are still travelling inland for most of us Texans. It majority comes down to their life span. Gulf oysters take only 6 to 12 months from spit(seed) to maturity(time to slurp down)! The smaller Pacific and Atlantic oysters which offer a huge punch of sea flavor take anywhere from 4-6 years average growth time before they come to market! Six years! I can’t even keep a cactus alive for that long.