**2.4** *Ostrea edulis*

*Ostrea edulis* (Linnaeus, 1758) is a bivalve mollusk with very tasty meat and cultivated. It consists of two circular shaped shells and these shells are connected to each other by a structure called ligament. It lives in offshore sandy, pebbly, or rocky areas in all our seas. It is not found in brackish waters. It feeds on plankton and suspends organic matter. They are oysters evaluated as fresh. The peel is quite light, thick, and oval. Yellowish-brown, right bark is flat, straight, and covered with inconspicuous radial folds. The left shell is in the form of a convex cube and its edges are serrated. The shell surface is irregularly indented. Its maximum length is 12 cm. It has a characteristic shellfish odor. There are no irritating odors (ammonia smell, etc.) (**Figure 6**) [21].

The shells do not open with manual intervention, but they can be opened by cutting the ligament with the help of a cutter. When it first reaches sexual maturity, the gonad normally develops like a male and gives off sperm. After the gonad releases the sperm, it passes into the female stage and produces eggs instead of sperm. This

**Figure 6.** Callinectes sapidus*, Rathbun, 1896 [11, 12].*

continues a regular basis throughout his life. The formation of pearls is completed because of the combination of sand and similar materials in the seas, where many kinds of creatures can live, by entering the oyster shells and combining with the mother-of-pearl secretions. Fresh products can be stored in cold stores between 0°C and + 4°C between pieces of ice. Frozen products that have been frozen at −40°C and will wait for a long time should be stored at a temperature of −22°C to −18°C in the center. The product should not be kept together with substances that emit a foreign odor or that will pollute it. Meat texture should be fresh, firm, and unique, natural color. It is served as fresh raw or cooked with various sauces. It is recommended to boil it with its peel during cooking. It is offered for sale as cooked canned or smoked oysters [22].
