Eating oysters in a month without an "R"

Oysters

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Why the Decline

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Comeback

Oysters in months without an R

 True Oysters                              Family: Ostreidae (Oysters)

There is a saying "only eat oysters in a month with an 'R"

   No, this wasn't thought up by Pirates (sorry- bad joke)

All months have the letter R in the spelling except May, June, July and August.

There are some logical explanations for this.

The saying probably started back as far as the times of the Romans who were known for their love of eating oysters.

First, some biology...

Reproductive behavior in the oyster is remarkable in that both oviparous (egg bearing) and larviparous (larvae bearing) species are found.

In Barnegat Bay, the eastern oyster is the predominant species of oyster.

When they reproduce, they are larviparous meaning females release eggs and males release sperm into the water column.  (broadcast spawning)

Free floating eggs are fertilized and develop into larvae then ultimately into oysters.                                                   <Click on image to enlarge>          

In other parts of the world some oysters are oviparous.

Reproduction is characterized by their aberrant trans-ctenidial (gill) ovulation pathway and by the utilization of the mantle cavity inhalant chamber as a broodsite in species with parental care.

To make a long story short . they keep the eggs in their gills                                                                               <Click on image to enlarge>

May, June, July and August Are the months when oyster reproduction is most active.

One reason is that eating oysters with eggs is that they may be a little "gritty"

This would not be the problem with the eastern oyster (Barnegat Bay)

Another reason is that during these months, oysters use spawning so there metabolism (energy) is used for reproduction and not for building up body mass.  They would be alright to eat but would not be as succulent as in Fall or Winter