The deep-sea creature was found off the coast of Denmark

Feb 21, 2014 18:41 GMT  ·  By

The world's biggest oyster is 14 inches (35.6 cm) long and has been found off the coast of Denmark, according to the Guinness World Records.

The deep-sea creature was found last October by biologist Christine Ditlefsen in Wadden Sea National Park, a shallow area off the North Sea on the southwestern coast of Denmark. The oyster is still alive and growing, and its world record has been confirmed recently.

Then the oyster was discovered, the staff at Wadden Sea Center compared it to a large and sturdy shoe.

“My staff called me immediately and said we've found this oyster that's as big as a 44 shoe,” said Klaus Melbye, the head of the Wadden center.

In the U.S., 14 inches (35.6 cm) equal the length of a size 11 shoe. However, the oyster might reach an even bigger size, because it could live another 10 years.

This mammoth also has five smaller oysters attached to it and the whole cluster weighs in at over 3.56 pounds (1.62 kg), as stated on the new Guinness page for the largest oyster.

Christine Ditlefsen says that the oyster is probably 15-20 years old, as suggested by its rich patina and rippling layers, and that it has a healthy appetite.

“The oyster is still alive and is on display in our exhibition here at the Wadden Sea Centre. We feed it plankton algae and it eats well, so we hope that we can keep it alive for many years,” states the biologist, cited by NPR.

“To know the exact age, we will have to wait until it dies a natural death. 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,” she adds.

This giant mollusk is the first living shellfish to hold a title in the Guinness Book of World Records.