The Ultimate Oyster Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
The Ultimate Oyster Quiz
Image: iStockphoto.com/Norbert Bieberstein

About This Quiz

Oysters is along with squids and octopuses is are an ancient delicacy. They live short lives along the floor of the ocean throughout the world. Take this quiz and learn more about this interesting sea creature.
Oysters are related to:
scallops
mussels
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oysters are distant relatives to scallops and mussels. Oysters are considered a edible bivalve mollusk.

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Where do oysters live?
at the bottom of the ocean
on coral reef
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oysters live at the bottom of the ocean in hard-surface areas, either in deep or shallow water.

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Humans have been eating oysters since:
prehistoric times
biblical times
medieval times
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oysters are an ancient delicacy. Humans have been eating oysters since prehistory times and oysters have been cultivated for more than 2,000 years.

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When do oysters lose their taste?
from September to December
from January to April
from May to August
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During their reproductive season, from May to August, oysters have thin shells and lose some of their taste.

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What color are oyster shells?
gray
whitish
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oyster shells typically have a gray or white texture. Some oyster shells have purple or red markings.

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Oyster shells are made out of:
calcium
iron
copper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oyster shells are primarily made out of calcium carbonate, similar to limestone.

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What keeps an oyster shell closed?
the abductor muscle
the mantle
the shell-secreting membrane
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When the abductor muscle contracts, the two pieces of the oyster shell close. When the abductor muscle relaxes, the shell opens up.

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What is the purpose of an oyster's gills?
for collecting food
for breathing
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An oyster's gills are found under the mantle. The gills are used for collecting food and breathing.

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What does an oyster lack?
a head and brain
a mouth
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An oyster doesn't have a head or a brain. Instead, it has two nerve centers that control the mouth, mantle and internal organs.

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Which of the following is a predator for the oyster?
marine snails
small fish
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Marine snails make holes in the oyster's shell to gain access to the nutritious contents.

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Overfishing and water pollution has resulted in:
depleted oyster beds
an excess of oysters in the ocean
malformed oysters
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Overfishing and water pollution has partially destroyed the ocean floor where oysters make their home, also known as oyster beds.

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What do oysters eat?
debris
plankton
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oysters eat plankton and organic debris by creating a current in the water. Water enters the oyster's gills and food particles are caught.

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How do oysters reproduce?
by releasing eggs or sperm into the water
by making contact with the opposite sex
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oysters are known as alternating hermaphrodites, as they can change sex several times in their lifetime. Oysters reproduce by releasing sperm or eggs into the water.

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How old are oysters when they are harvested by fisherman?
one year old
three to five years old
about ten years old
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oysters only become large enough for harvesting after three to five years of life.

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What type of oysters have deep-cupped shells?
Pycnodonta oysters
Crassostrea  oysters
Ostrea oysters
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Crassostrea oysters have deep-cupped shells and include: the American Atlantic coast oyster, the Portuguese oyster and the Japanese oyster.

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How can you tell the age of an oyster?
by their rings
by their spots
by their shell thickness
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Each ring on an oyster indicates one year of growth.

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What happens as an oyster's body grows?
The oyster sheds its shell for a larger one.
The shell also grows.
both of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An oyster doesn't shed its shell. Instead, the shell grows with the oyster's body at about one inch (2.5 cm) per year.

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Where in the world are oysters cultivated?
in North America only
all over the world
in North American and Asia only
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oysters are cultivated all over the world, including: the Atlantic waters of the Americas and Europe; the Pacific waters of the Americas, Australia, and Asia; and along the eastern coast of Africa.

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What happens when an oyster is shucked?
It's washed with soap.
The shell is removed.
Hormones are inserted to increase size.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After the oyster is harvested, the oyster may be shucked before packaging and selling. This involves removing one side of the shell with a special knife.

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How are canned oysters cooked?
baked
boiled
steamed
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Canned oysters are steamed and packed in sterilized cans.

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You Got:
/20
iStockphoto.com/Norbert Bieberstein