Crassostrea ingens

Crassostrea ingens; Temporal range: Miocene – Pliocene
	from Wilkies Shellbed, 2.5 mya.
Conservation status
	Extinct
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Ostreida
Family:	Ostreidae
Genus:	Crassostrea
Species:	†C. ingens
Binomial name
	†Crassostrea ingens; Zittel, 1864

Crassostrea ingens^[1] is a species of fossil oyster, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Ostreidae, the oyster. This species lived during the Pliocene. Fossils have been found in New Zealand shallow-water limestone and shellbeds. Locations include the Wairarapa, Whanganui basin, Gisborne district, North Canterbury, and Hawke's Bay (especially in the Te Aute limestone).

Description

Crassostrea ingens is a giant fossil oyster. It has a shell reaching a height of 200 millimetres (7.9 in) to over 300 millimetres (12 in). This shell is biconvex. The left valve is thick and deep, with inflation of 60 millimetres (2.4 in) to over 80 millimetres (3.1 in); interior cavity depth 30 millimetres (1.2 in) to over 40 millimetres (1.6 in). The right valve is almost flat, 15 millimetres (0.59 in) to 40 millimetres (1.6 in) thick. Most specimens curve slightly to the left. The adductor scar area in most Pliocene specimens retains a purplish red colour. Beu and Raine (2009) note that: "This is the sole giant oyster in New Zealand Late Miocene–Pliocene rocks, and there has never been any confusion over the identity of C. ingens."^[2]

References

^ K.A. Zittel (1864) ii. Fossile Mollusken und Echinodermen aus Neu-Seeland. Nebst Beiträgen von den Herren Bergrath Franz Ritter V. Hauer und Professor Eduard Suess. in: Hochstetter F von, Hörnes M, Ritter von Hauer F ed. Paläontologie von Neu-Seeland. Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Fossilien Flora und Fauna der Provinzen Auckland und Nelson. Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde, Geologischer Theil 1(2): 15–68.
^ A.G. BEU and J.I. RAINE (2009) REVISED DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW ZEALAND CENOZOIC MOLLUSCA FROM BEU AND MAXWELL (1990) GNS Science miscellaneous series no. 27.

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[1] K.A. Zittel (1864) ii. Fossile Mollusken und Echinodermen aus Neu-Seeland. Nebst Beiträgen von den Herren Bergrath Franz Ritter V. Hauer und Professor Eduard Suess. in: Hochstetter F von, Hörnes M, Ritter von Hauer F ed. Paläontologie von Neu-Seeland. Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Fossilien Flora und Fauna der Provinzen Auckland und Nelson. Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde, Geologischer Theil 1(2): 15–68.

[2] A.G. BEU and J.I. RAINE (2009) REVISED DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW ZEALAND CENOZOIC MOLLUSCA FROM BEU AND MAXWELL (1990) GNS Science miscellaneous series no. 27.

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