It is not the Pacific oyster. The smaller, flatter, sweeter cousin of the Pacific oyster. An oyster that tastes like history. The native oyster has a smooth, pale grey shell with a distinctive wavy edge. The two shells are both shallowly cupped, giving the oyster a flatter profile. The inside of the shell is a pearly white-grey, with a small, dark muscle scar. They are much smaller than Pacific oysters, rarely growing larger than a 50-cent piece. An oyster that is easy to overlook. These animals are the slow-growing, deep-water bivalves of the southern coast. They live in subtidal sand and mud flats, often in dense beds. They are filter-feeders, drawing water in through their gills, filtering out plankton and expelling the clean water. They grow slowly, taking up to five years to reach harvest size. They are highly sensitive to disease and overfishing. The reproductive cycle is unusual for oysters. Native oysters are larviparous, meaning they brood their eggs inside their shells until they hatch into swimming larvae. The larvae then drift with the currents for several weeks before settling onto the seabed and attaching permanently. Native oysters are the forgotten oyster of New Zealand. They were once common throughout the country, harvested by Māori and early European settlers. Today, they are a rare treat, found only in a few specific locations. The Foveaux Strait population is the last remaining stronghold. To eat a native oyster is to eat history. The Foveaux Strait is cold. The oyster sits on the seabed, flat and small, filtering water. It takes five years to reach harvest size. It does not know it is a relic. It does not know it is the last of its kind. It just wants to filter water.