Crassostrea gigas (Japanese oyster)

Found in area 3.

The Japanese oyster is the largest in Puget Sound. It was introduced many years ago accidentally and then intentionally by oyster farmers. Now they seem a natural part of that area. The shells are often found in clumps, twisted and jammed. There are no established beds of them at the Cove. Most people prefer other species of oysters if they are to be eaten raw. There have been attempts to import oysters from Europe and the east coast of the US, but these oysters haven’t done well.