General:
Growth of this species occurs in the first years, with little growth after year 5 (Gillespie 1999).
Behaviour:
Disperal occurs during the planktonic larval phase; adults are generally sessile (Gillespia 1999).
Diet:
This species is a filter feeder. Larvae feed on suspended organic matter, while adults feed on suspended organic material and plankton (diatoms and dinoflagellates, bacteria, protozoa).
Reproduction:
In BC, this species breeds sporadically in the southern waters of the province; brooding occurs from mid-May to July, and settlement occurs from July to September, on the undersides of hard surfaces—an ambient water temperature of at least 12.5 C is needed to reproduce (Gillespie 1999). First maturity is reached one year after settlement (Gillespie 1999).
Predators:
Predators of this species include crabs, gastropods, sea stars, and birds. See Gillespie (1999) for further details. Available
online.
Notes:
The average maximal densities across its range vary from 0.0 to 36.7 oysters/0.25 m
2 (Polson and Zacheri 2007); longevity is unknown. “This is a larviparous, protandrous, alternating hermaphroditic species.... Individuals mature first as males then alternate between male and female phases throughout their lifetime” (Gillespie 1999). This species may be found attached to hard substrates or individuals may be loose on loose substrates singly or in small groups.
