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DiscoverSpeciesMolluscs

hooded oyster

Saccostrea cuccullata

  • Molluscs
  • IUCN: Not evaluated
  • Usual depth0–287 m
  • Water temperature13–29 °C
  • Best monthsApril
  • How commonOccasional
All species

Photo credit: (c) Suvarna Parbhoo Mohan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 75 records
  • February: 69 records
  • March: 46 records
  • April: 202 records
  • May: 67 records
  • June: 61 records
  • July: 41 records
  • August: 57 records
  • September: 70 records
  • October: 65 records
  • November: 59 records
  • December: 59 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–287 m · Deepest record: 287 m

  • 0–10 m: 2 records
  • 10–20 m: 0 records
  • 20–30 m: 3 records
  • 30–40 m: 0 records
  • 40–50 m: 1 records
  • 50–60 m: 0 records
  • 60–70 m: 0 records
  • 70–80 m: 0 records
  • 80–90 m: 0 records
  • 90–100 m: 0 records
  • 100–110 m: 0 records
  • 110+ m: 3 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 13–29 °C

  • 12–14 °C: 1 records
  • 14–16 °C: 0 records
  • 16–18 °C: 2 records
  • 18–20 °C: 3 records
  • 20–22 °C: 3 records
  • 22–24 °C: 14 records
  • 24–26 °C: 69 records
  • 26–28 °C: 214 records
  • 28–30 °C: 38 records

Names and classification

English
hooded oyster, Natal rock oyster, Rock oyster
Names in 5 more languages
German
Deckel-Auster, Deckel-Felsenauster, Natal-Felsenauster, Südafrikanische Felsenauster
Spanish
ostión capuchón
French
huître-capuchon
Korean
재석굴
Simplified Chinese
僧帽牡蠣, 岩蚵

Other scientific names: Crassostrea cuccullata, Crassostrea cucullata, Gryphaea cuccullata, Ostrea cornucopia, Ostrea cornucopiae, Ostrea cuccullata, Ostrea cucullata, Ostrea purpurea, Saccostrea cucullata

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 594 open-data records from 1778 to 2024.
  • Species data updated October 30, 2026.

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