Encyclopedia Oyster - Volume 1

---

Introducing a new column to the LOC news site: Encyclopedia Oyster

This column will offer up small bites of oyster knowledge and interesting facts.

Enjoy the column!

If you should ever have a burning question about oysters, drop us a line and ask! Your question just might be the foundation to our next best article.

---

Size Matters

The Lynnhaven Legend pictured is near 6-inches from hinge to bill. A massive oyster in its own right, this is not even half as long as the world record. There are tales of Lynnhaven Oysters being as big as dinner plates from the time when John Smith first observed the Lynnhaven Oyster. English royalty became extremely fond of this New World delicacy.

The largest oyster ever recorded is a Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) measuring 35.5 cm (13.97 inches) in length and 10.7 cm (4.21 inches) in width. This oyster was discovered by the Vadehavscentret (Wadden Sea Centre) in Denmark on December 17, 2013, and found in Wadden Sea National Park, a shallow area off Denmark’s southwestern coast. The oyster is estimated to be 15–20 years old and is recognized by Guinness World Records.

In terms of weight, one of the heaviest oysters known is “Jill,” a Pacific oyster weighing 3.01 kg (approximately 6.64 pounds), discovered in the Clyde River, Australia. Jill was crowned the heaviest oyster at the Narooma Oyster Festival in 2024. 

Another notable find occurred in 2024 off the coast of Mersea Island, Essex, England, where a “monster” oyster weighing over 5 pounds and measuring about 12 inches in length was harvested. While impressive, this oyster was still shorter than the Danish record-holder. 

These extraordinary oysters highlight the remarkable sizes that these mollusks can attain under favorable environmental conditions.

---

Ask an oyster question here for future Oyster Encylopedia articles.