Scientific name:

Ostrea edulis

About:

Oysters live on the firm, muddy or sandy sea bed in shallow water, where it filter feeds on plankton and detritus.

How to identify:

<p>A large, rounded shell up to 11cm across. The outside of the shells is flaky and scaly, dark grey, but inside is the beautiful ‘mother of pearl’. A larger, flattened clam-like shell, flaky on the outside and ‘mother of pearl’ on the inside.</p>

Where:

Found on sandy and muddy shores all round our coasts, but much less common on the east coast.

Fantastic facts:

Oysters produce pearls when bits of sand or grit get inside them and are wrapped in mother of pearl to stop irritation.