Crassostrea Temporal range: | |
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Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Bivalvia |
Order: | Ostreida |
Family: | Ostreidae |
Genus: | Crassostrea Sacco, 1897 [1] |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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Crassostrea is a genus of true oysters (family Ostreidae) [2] containing some of the most important oysters used for food.
The genus was recent split in WoRMS, following the DNA-based phylogenies of Salvi et al. (2014 and 2017). Pacific species were moved to a new genus Magallana . C. zhanjiangensis became Talonostrea zhanjiangensis . [3] The changes are not universally welcomed by oyster researchers, as C. gigas (now M. gigas) is "one of the most researched species of marine invertebrate". [4]
Extant species are: [2]
Fossil species include: [5]
The genome of Crassostrea gigas (now Magallana gigas ) has been recently sequenced revealing an extensive set of genes that enable it to cope with environmental stresses. [8]