seed oyster

American  

noun

1. a young oyster used in the cultivating and transplanting of an oyster bed.

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seed oyster British  

noun

1. a young oyster, esp a cultivated oyster, ready for transplantation

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Etymology

Origin of seed oyster

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Founding owner of Mook Sea Farm and Hatchery on Maine’s Damariscotta River, one of the two largest oyster producers in the state, he grows both mature and seed oysters.

From Scientific American

Oystermen get permits to work those public beds, harvesting seed oysters to transplant to their own grounds.

From Seattle Times

The department notes that larger orders may be reduced or split based on availability of larvae and seed oysters.

From Washington Times

“You place the seed oysters in the tank, you watch them grow and you put them into action when you dump them overboard.”

From Seattle Times

Although triploid oysters make up one-third to one-half of all seed oysters along the West Coast, Louisiana State University biologist John Supan “guesstimates” that they may make up about 1 percent of Louisiana’s harvest.

From Seattle Times