This Pacific Oyster is a great example to show oyster spat. Small oyster seedlings use discarded adult shells as hosts, similar to a nurse log. Over time the spat will grow into adults, sometimes forming clusters around the host shell.
A veteran Fish and Wildlife staff member displays yearling oysters from left to right; Olympia Oysters far left and second to the left, then Pacific Oysters far right and second to the right. Both species benefit from one another, creating healthy mudflat habitats where both coexist.
