Northern California man finds giant oyster

EUREKA, Calif. (AP) ? A northern California man who's been searching for years for a record-sized oyster appears to have found one.

The Eureka Times-Standard reports (http://bit.ly/JAp102 ) Richard Mesce found the 13-inch-long, 6-inch-wide mollusk in the muddy bottom of Humboldt Bay. It's estimated at 80 years old.

The retired pilot took the oyster to a Humboldt State University oceanographer for an official measurement, a requirement of the Guinness World Records' application.

The current record-holding oyster measures 12 inches long and 5 ? inches wide.

Mesce started searching in 2006, when he happened upon a large oyster in the area. Paddling in his kayak, he continued his quest when the tide was right.

If the oyster is confirmed the largest, Humboldt State University has agreed to keep the mollusk in its aquarium, where it can continue to grow.

Associated Press

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