Cock's Comb Oyster (Lopha cristagalli) from a dive in Solomon Islands, Pacific Ocean. Close-up shot from the opening.

---

The Cock's Comb Oyster is a common species of the Indo-Pacific and Pacific Ocean. The rough shell is usually covered with different species of sponges, as u can see the tiny pore opening in the middle of the oyster's surface. The size of the oyster can presumably reach 20,5 cm, although most commonly found in a size range of about 10 cm. The distribution of the Cock's Comb Oyster ranges from the East of Africa through the Indo- Pacific to the waters around Papua New Guinea. It generally is found associated with Gorgonians at tropical coral reefs within a depth of 5 to 30 meters. The photograph was taken in 2002 in Solomon Islands. The photo is a close-up shot of the oyster's opening, demonstrating the fine filaments, cilia, used for transporting water to the gills.

---

Size: 5480px × 3606px
Location: Solomon Islands
Photo credit: © Malcolm Ross / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: brown, cilia, comb, coral, filtrating, islands, jagged, macro, marine, mussel, opening, oyster, pacific, reef, sessile, shell, solomon, underwater, zig-zag