Marie Read / American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) adult feeding chick, Long Island, New York, USA. June.

Georgette Douwma / Mantel of Spiny oyster (Spondylus varius). Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Cock's comb oyster (Lopha cristagalli) covered with encrusting sponge on artificial reef. Mabul, Malaysia.

Ernie Janes / Oyster Catcher (Haematopus ostralegus) in tulip (Tulipa) field, North Norfolk, May 2013

Jurgen Freund / Cultured Golden South Sea pearls of the Pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) Jewelmer pearls, Philippines

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Golden south sea pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) are prepared with plastic wedges to have nuclei inserted for the creation of cultured pearls, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Goldlip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) opened, with cultured Golden South Sea pearl on beach, Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Baby Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) at Jewelmer Pearlfarm, two months spats (2 mm in size) and three months (10mm in size) Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed in oyster shell on beach, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Five newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearl of Oyster (Pinctada maxima), Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed in hand, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed in oyster shell, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Details of Thorny oyster (Spondylus varius) with "eyes" in its mantle edge near the shell, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea

Jurgen Freund / Pearl held in hand at Jewelmer Pearlfarm - golden South Sea Pearl from pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Almost perfect cultured pearl extracted from Golden South Sea Pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) oyster will then be reused, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, expert technician extracts nearly perfect culutred pearl from golden South Sea Pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) oyster will then be reused, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Golden South Sea Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) laid out on trays waiting to have nucleus inserted to initiate cultured pearl growth, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Goldlip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) with golden pearl on beach, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) in hanging cage, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, cleaned Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) in hanging cage in the open sea, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, cleaned Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) in hanging cages, being relocated to the open sea, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, cleaned Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) in hanging nets, being relocated to the open sea, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, newly cleaned Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) hanging in nets from rafts waiting to be relocated to open sea, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, newly cleaned Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) hanging in nets from rafts waiting to be relocated to open sea, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Jurgen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm workers clean each pearl oyster regularly taking off barnacles and anything that grows on the shell, Philippines, April 2010

Billy Black / Starfish in half Oyster (Lophia folium) shell lying on bed of seaweed. Pumpkin Island, Maine, USA.

David Fleetham / Thorny Oyster shell (Spondylus varians), Komodo, Indonesia.

Jurgen Freund / Oyster encrusted mangrove roots, split level.(Rhizophoraceae) Florida Everglades, USA

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni), Australia

Fred Bavendam / Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) pair, New South Wales, Australia

Shane Gross / Cherrystone Aqua-Farms Clam and Oyster farm, aerial view. Cape Charles, Virginia, USA. May 2019.

Alex Mustard / Noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis), a large bivalve shell (this individual was about 60cm) endemic to the Mediterraean, grows vertically in a Mediterranean sea grass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow. Costa Pa...

Linda Pitkin / Bitter oysterling fungus (Panellus stipticus), Naphill Common (SSSI), Buckinghamshire, England, November.

Chris Shields / Illustration of Common oyster (Ostrea edulis)

Doug Wechsler / Golden oyster mushroom (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, August.

Georgette Douwma / Thorny oyster (Spondylus varius), patterns and colours on mantle caused by Zooxanthellae. Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Dimitris Poursanidis / Fan mussel (Pinna nobilis), Agia Pelagia, near Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Critically Endangered species.

Dimitris Poursanidis / Fan Mussel (Pinna nobilis), National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades, Greece. Critically Endangered species.

Dimitris Poursanidis / Fan Mussel (Pinna nobilis), National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades, Greece. Critically Endangered species.

Dimitris Poursanidis / Fan Mussel (Pinna nobilis), National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades, Greece. Critically Endangered species.

Dimitris Poursanidis / Fan Mussel (Pinna nobilis), National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades, Greece. Critically Endangered species.

Dimitris Poursanidis / Fan Mussel (Pinna nobilis), National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades, Greece. Critically Endangered species.

Dimitris Poursanidis / The Noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is the largest bivalve that lives in the Mediterranean. It is mostly found in seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica), Skyros, North Aegean, Greece.

Dimitris Poursanidis / Noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is the largest bivalve in the Mediterranean. It is mostly found in seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica). National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, Greece

Dimitris Poursanidis / A noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) at a depth of 35 meters. National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, Greece

Dimitris Poursanidis / Noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is the largest bivalve in the Mediterranean. It is mostly found in seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica). National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, Greece