Oysters
Oysters
Once oyster larvae permanently attach to a surface, they are known as spat. As generation after generation of spat grow into adult oysters, they form dense clusters known as oyster reefs or beds. Spat sized oysters are usually 4-6mm.
Oysters have a number of natural predators: Anemones, sea nettles and other filter feeders feed on oyster larvae. Flatworms and mud crabs feed on new spat. Blue crabs and some fish feed on older spat and first-year oysters.
The largest oyster species is the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). It measures 13.97 inches in length and 4.21 inches in width.
In 1932, Bonnot and McMillan planted Pacific seed oysters in experimental plots in a few southern California bays: Mugu Lagoon, Newport Bay, and Anaheim Slough. Mission Bay and San Diego Bay were considered too polluted for oyster culture. The oyster meat grew satisfactorily in the plantings made in Mugu Lagoon and Anaheim Slough and nothing further was done there. A small oyster enterprise, the Newport Oyster Company, was established in Newport Bay. Pacific Fisherman (February 1933), p. 41) reported that the company, "operates beds and holding floats on Newport Bay for the production of domestic and imported cocktail oysters, and is now making deliveries." The nature of their operations is not clear, but the company may have been only concerned with with native and eastern oysters, as the large Pacific oysters are not ordinarily used in cocktails... Recently [1960s] allotments were acquired and plantings of Pacific and Eastern oysters made near Point Loma, San Diego County, and in Catalina Harbor, Santa Catalina Island. This work was only experimental, and no commercial plantings were attempted. The 1960 planting of eastern oysters in Catalina Harbor was destrtoted by stingrays." [Barrett, E. M., 1963 p. 73].
- 1963. Barrett, Elinore M. The California Oyster Industry. Department of Fish and Game Fish Bulletin 123. 103 pages.
- [original in SCIF archives; ex-lib MDD]
In the News~
October 2, 1879 [SBMP]: “A bed of oysters has been discovered at the west end of Santa Cruz Island. The bivalves are said to be of fine flavor and unusually large, many of them being larger than a man's hand. Winemiller is having some oyster tongs made, and will shortly go after a load of these oysters, and the people will have an opportunity to test them for themselves.”
October 8, 1879 [REG]: “A bed of oysters has been discovered at the west end of Santa Cruz Island. They are said to be of fine flavor and unusually large.”
May 7, 1903 [SBMP]: “It will be remembered that a San Francisco firm went to considerable expense several years ago in planting oyster beds along the beach below Summerland as an experiment. There never has been any dredging done to ascertain whether the bivalves were thriving, but from the fact that an occasional oyster, much larger than those planted, is found on the shore indicates that they are at least growing, if not multiplying. The following is from the Summerland Advance: ‘Some boys picked up on the beach a few days ago a brickbat encrusted with small oysters, which had evidently been cast up by the recent southeaster. This is a very hopeful indication for the oyster beds, which were laid out in front of Summerland a couple of years ago, as it shows the seed oysters planted at that time are not only alive, but are propagating. The seed oysters when planted were two and three years old at the time they were planted. Roughly speaking, an oyster grows an inch in diameter a year up to three years, when the rate of growth is much slower. An oyster five to seven years old is of marketable size. As it would be hardly profitable to fish the original planting, we can hardly expect the beds to yield inside of three more years.’ ”
May 19, 1959 [LAT]: “Boat overturns. $3,500 Seed Oysters Dumped in Accident. An experimental planting of Chesapeake Bay oysters at Catalina Harbor went awry when they were accidentally dumped into the depths of the San Pedro Channel, it was learned yesterday. The oysters were being taken to the island harbor Sunday by Gordon M. Curtin, Jr, president of the California Oyster Co. Inc., in the 46-ft. water taxi Whirlwind. About two miles off Point Fermin, the water taxi suddenly began sinking at the stern and flipped over. The 400 bushels of oysters, which cost $3,500, were dumped into 436 fathoms of water (about 2,600 ft.) Curtis and five companions, also dumped into the sea, were immediately rescued by the passing motor sailer Sirius, a 50-ft. craft whose owner was identified only as Dr. Andrews. A commercial tug towed the overturned water taxi back to San Pedro. Because of the varying degrees of water temperature at Catalina Harbor, outside the isthmus cove on the northern side of the island, Curtis believes Chesapeake Bay oysters can be cultivated there. Despite Sunday's fiasco, Curtis said he will attempt the experiment again. His company already has planted 1,125,000 seed oysters from Japan at Point Loma in San Diego Harbor.”
May 19, 1959 [LAT]: “Boat saved, load lost. Portuguese Bend man pushes oyster project. Gordon M. Curtis, Jr. of Portuguese Bend who Sunday lost $3500 worth of seed oysters when a water taxi foundered five miles off Pt. Fermin, still plans to establish an oyster bed on the south side of the isthmus at Catalina island. President of the California Oyster Co., Curtis earlier this year planted seed oysters in a bed on the ocean side of Point Loma. With his daughter Gale, 10, and two young friends, Curtis Sunday afternoon loaded 400 bushels of oysters trucked from Crittenden, Va., on Jim Weist's 46-foot boat Whirlwind. As the boat headed for the west end of Catalina, it began to take water at the stern. "Soon we were up to our knees in water," Curtis said, "and we called for help." Using the radio phone, Curtis called for the Coast Guard, got San Diego, but not Long beach. He then called Capt. Bill Donohugh who immediately set out in one of his two boats to rescue the group. Meanwhile, a small boat came by and Gale was transferred to it. The others—Curtis, his young friend, John Muchmore, 15, of Portuguese Bend, Michael Flick, 22 of San Pedro, and Weist and his helper—got in or held onto a skiff Curtis had brought along to use in planting the oysters. At this point the power cruiser Sirius came along and took them aboard. Later, Curtis and his companions returned to San Pedro in Donohugh's boat. The Whirlwind went down dumping 12 tons of oysters in 2600 feet of water. Freed of its load and buoyed by its tanks, the Whirlwind later came to the surface bottom-side-up, and was towed to the harbor by Donohugh. During the incident, F. W. Conant, vice president of Douglas Aircraft, stood by in his cruiser Dorado as did the sport fishing boat Jeffries 40. Curtis said the lost oysters can't survive in the deep water. "They'll lack food and it's too cold and too much pressure." He said he will make another attempt to seed a bed on the south side of the isthmus.”
April 23, 1959 [The Catalina Islander]: “Oyster farm comes to Cat Harbor. Millions of Oyster "seed" from Japan and Chesapeake Bay will be planted in Catalina Harbor as the result of an agreement this week between Santa Catalina Island Company and Curtis & Curtis of Portuguese Bend who will operate the oyster "farm." Mr. Curtis, who is sales manager of the Starkist Tuna packing company, has made an extensive study of the propagation of oysters in southern California and has stated that the waters of Catalina Harbor should be highly suitable for this purpose. Oyster growing activities will be on the floor of the harbor and will not interfere with other uses of the harbor, it was pointed out by Malcolm Renton of the Catalina Company.”
May 21, 1959 [The Catalina Islander]: “Oysters planted too deep, too soon. Millions of oyster seed from Japan and Chesapeake Bay, headed for the Curtis and Curtis oyster farm at Catalina Island, were planted too deep and too soon on Tuesday afternoon. The commercial fishing boat that was bearing the precious cargo began taking on water in mid-channel and was soon on the bottom. According to the best reports available the crew was taken off safely without injury. These particular oysters will doubtless never be harvested. Plans are going ahead, however, to seed the oyster beds in Catalina Harbor and this unique and very interesting new industry for Catalina Island will not be abandoned due to this misfortune.”
