The Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, formerly known as Saccostrea commercialis, is an oyster species endemic to Australia and New Zealand. In Australia it is found in bays, inlets and sheltered estuaries from Wingan Inlet in eastern Victoria, along the east coast of New South Wales and up to Hervey Bay Queensland., around northern Australia and down the west coast to Shark Bay in Western Australia. There is also a small introduced population on Flinders Island, in Bass Strait, Tasmania and in Albany on the south west coast of Western Australia, where they are farmed. In New Zealand, where the species is not farmed, it is known as the New Zealand rock oyster. The Sydney rock oyster is closely related to Saccostrea cucullata, or hooded oyster, which is common on Indo-Pacific rocky shores.
Sydney rock oysters are capable of tolerating a wide range of salinities (halotolerant). They are usually found in the intertidal zone to 3 metres below the low water mark.
The shell of Crassostrea gigas varies widely with the environment where it is attached. Its large, rounded, radial folds are often extremely rough and sharp. The two valves of the shell are slightly different in size and shape, the right valve being moderately concave. Shell colour is variable, usually pale white or off-white. Mature specimens can vary from 80 mm to 400 mm long.
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