males and later change to females. About 60% of prime eating oysters are female. Selective breeding has reduced the time to market size from three to two years. Great success in selection for disease resistance to two protozoan diseases of oysters, namely, QX disease Marteilia sydneyi and winter mortality Bonamia roughleyi, has been achieved. Oysters are filter feeders, straining planktonic algae from the water. Birds, fish, stingrays, mud crabs, and starfish all eat Sydney rock oysters, with the Australian pied oystercatcher being particularly fond of them. Commercial industry A substantial commercial oyster farming industry is found in New South Wales and southern Queensland, with a small, emerging industry in Albany, Western Australia. The industry produces a gourmet product and provides employment in isolated coastal communities. In Australia, oysters in peak flesh condition (i.e. spawning condition) are preferred for the half-shell trade. Consumption Sydney rock oysters are best consumed when freshly shucked, but do have a good shelf life when kept whole, of up to 14 days providing they are kept at the correct temperature and handled safely. Notes References External links CIESM page on oyster species in the Mediterranean [CC-By-SA] https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/research/areas/aquaculture/outputs/2008/nell Retrieved 7 April 2022 glomerata Commercial molluscs Australian cuisine Bivalves of Australia Bivalves of New Zealand Fauna of Western Australia Bivalves described in 1850 Taxa named by Augustus Addison Gould