Rock Oyster (species: Saccostrea cucullata) in Lizard Island Field Guide (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Lizard Island Field Guide > Marine Life > Invertebrates > Bivalvia > Ostreidae > Saccostrea cucullata (gallery)
Saccostrea cucullata
Rock Oyster


©Anne Hoggett: Saccostrea cucullata on a granite rock in Lizard Island lagoon.

©Anne Hoggett: Saccostrea cucullata on a granite boulder in Lizard Island lagoon.

©Anne Hoggett: Saccostrea cucullata on a granite boulder in Lizard Island lagoon.

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Bivalvia
Order Ostreoida
Family Ostreidae
Genus Saccostrea
Species Saccostrea cucullata

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Lizard Island Field Guide
Lizard Island area: all known taxa

Colours

         

Distinguishing features

A rather flat oyster with straight to frilly edges on valves, usually found in the mid-intertidal area. It is very similar in appearance to the Sydney Rock Oyster, Saccostrea glomerata. It is larger and much less common at Lizard Island than its relative, Saccostrea scyphophilla, with which it sometimes co-occurs.

Size

  • Up to 6.5 cm (Shell length)

Synonyms

Comments

The taxonomy of this species is confused in the literature. Saccostrea glomerata (the Sydney Rock Oyster) used to be considered a temperate subspecies of the tropical Saccostrea cucullata cucullata. However, Dr Richard Willan (NT Museum) notes the current genetic interpretation is that the two are separate but it is not known where they overlap on the east Australian coast.

by Anne Hoggett

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Local abundance

  • Lizard Island: Uncommon

Web resources

References

  • Bott, N.J., J.M. Healy and T.H. Cribb (2005). Patterns of digenean parasitism of bivalves from the Great Barrier Reef and associated waters, Marine and Freshwater Research, 56: 387-394. LIRS catalog number 922.
  • Goggin, C.L., K.B. Sewell and R.J.G. Lester (1989). Cross-infection experiments with Australian Perkinsus species, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 7: 55-59. LIRS catalog number 332.