The Genera of Oysters and the Australian Species

Abstract

Both conchological and malacological characters have been applied to the differentiation of the genera and species. Characters not previously used include the arrangement of tentacles on the mantle folds and the pigmentation on gills, palps, and mantle folds. Three genera are recognized, Ostrea Linnaeus, Crassostrea Sacco, and Pycnodonte Fischer de Waldheim. Ten native species of Australian oyster and one imported species are described in detail. Two keys to the species are provided, one based on shell characters and one based on the details of the soft anatomy.