Pinctada albina
Shark Bay pearl oyster | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Bivalvia |
Order: | Pteriida |
Family: | Pteriidae |
Genus: | Pinctada |
Species: | P. albina
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Binomial name | |
Pinctada albina (Lamarck, 1819)
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Pinctada albina is a species of
Pinctada
Pinctada albina belongs to the genus Pinctada. These are saltwater oysters, marine bivalve mollusks of the genus Pinctada in the family Pteriidae. They have a strong inner shell layer composed of nacre, also known as
Characteristics
The species is small, only three to four inches in diameter. The shells are either grayish or greenish yellow and surrounded by a few indistinct brownish-green radial bands. Nacre is tinted yellowish-green, with a slight border of pale yellow, and has brown markings. The shell has a rounded outline, with a nearly equal height and width. Oyster shells are usually oval or pear-shaped, but will vary widely in form depending on what they attach to. Oysters have a strong inner shell layer composed of nacre, also known as "mother of pearl". An oyster can filter 1.3 gallons of water per hour.
Habitat and distribution
Although the population stretches along the northern coast up the Great Barrier Reef, P. albina is predominantly found in
The distribution of P. albina reaches Northern Australia, from Indonesia through the Philippines and up to Micronesia. The widespread distribution is equal to P. maxima. They can also be found in China, Korea, and Vietnam.
Commercially
Pearls are only occasionally found. They are yellow and small. The nacre is thin and the shells are small, making them of little commercial value. However, before the introduction of the Mississippi shell, their ideal shape for buttons made “Shark Bay” shells critical to the Mother of Pearl Industry in the 19th century. Today, the species is used for culturing blister pearls (Mabe pearls).
References
Sources
- "Marine Life of the Dampier Archipelago". The Western Australian Museum. 2006. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- http://shell.kwansei.ac.jp/~shell/pic_book/data37/r003666.html