Try swallowing this one whole: World's LONGEST oyster found and at 14 inches it is bigger than a size NINE shoe
Oyster was found in the norther seas off Denmark's coast
It measures at a massive 14 inches, just a bit bigger than UK size nine shoe
Oyster is still alive and growing, so could eventually be larger in the future
By LUKE GARRATT
PUBLISHED: 17:52 GMT, 22 February 2014 | UPDATED: 17:53 GMT, 22 February 2014
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The oyster was found in a shallow area of the north sea of Denmark's coast, with scientists immediately comparing it to one of their boots +2
The oyster was found in a shallow area of the north sea of Denmark's coast, with scientists immediately comparing it to one of their boots
The worlds longest oyster has been found coming in at a massive 14 inches long, larger than a size nine shoe.
The Guinness World Records have agreed that the record setting creature from Denmark is the largest in world.
The crustacean, found in October in Wadden Sea National park just off the north sea, is still alive and growing.
The size and shape of the creature is said to resemble a large plaintain, but when they found it the Wadden staff compared it to a large, sturdy, size nine shoe.
It currently measures 13.97 inches long and is 4.21 inches across, but since it is still growing, it could eventually become much longer.
Klaus Melbye, from the Wadden Centre said: 'My staff called me immediately and said we've found this oyster that's as big as a 44 shoe (around a UK size 9.5).'
Christine Ditlefsen, a biologist at the Wadden Sea Centre told npr.org: 'The oyster is still alive and is on display in our exhibition here at the Wadden Sea Centre.
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'We feed it plankton algae and it eats well, so we hope that we can keep it alive for many years.
'It is 15-20 years old, and probably one of the first Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) that came to our part of the Wadden Sea.
The oyster is still alive, so could potentially eventually grow much larger than just 14 inches +2
The oyster is still alive, so could potentially eventually grow much larger than just 14 inches
The oyster is still alive, so could potentially eventually grow much larger than just 14 inches
'To know the exact age, we will have to wait until it dies a natural death - hopefully in many years - oysters are recorded to be 30 years old.
'After the oyster is dead it is possible to make a cut in the shell, and here it is possible to count the growth layers - and then we will know the exact age.