A triploid oyster is one that has one more set of chromosomes than a usual or normal diploid oyster, three sets instead of two, this is a hatchery process not a genetic modification.
It is suggested that because a triploid oyster is almost sterile it will not waste energy producing eggs or sperm and will therefore grow faster and not become too “milky”.
From our research and feed-back from growers we know that this is not necessarily the case, the triploid oyster needs a very good grow-out site to be able to sustain the faster growth.
If conditions are not perfect and many sites are far from it, the triploids can be prone to poor growth or mortality, and we have heard lots of sayings like “they don’t seem any different than normal gigas” or “they never really fattened up”.
If you have serious problems with milky oysters and a very productive site it may be worth trying.