Pinctada margaritifera


Pinctada margaritifera, commonly known as the black-lip pearl oyster, is a species of pearl oyster, a saltwater mollusk, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Pteriidae. This species is common in the Indo-Pacific within tropical coral reefs.
The ability of P. margaritifera to produce pearls means that the species is a valuable resource to humans. The oysters are harvested wild from coral reefs and are also commonly grown in aquaculture, both primarily taking place in the Indo-Pacific region.

Description

The common name of this species refers to the black coloring along the margins of the interior of the shell. Externally the shell is dark grayish brown or green, though white spots are common across the shell. Adults usually reach between in height. A distinctive feature of the species is that the hinge has no teeth.

Range

Pinctada margaritifera occupies a wide range throughout the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Australia, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Indonesia, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, Japan and the Pacific Ocean, and various locations on the coast of India.

Habitat

P. margaritifera occur in coral reef areas. These suspension feeders are able to thrive in low phytoplankton conditions. The pearl oyster attaches itself to barnacles and other hard substrates via a byssus. They thrive at intertidal and subtidal zones, at depths from the low tide to up to 75 meters. Habitats are usually characterized as oligotrophic and having low turbidity. Other species, including sponges, hydroids, polychaetes, lamellibranchs, amphipods, decapods, echinoderms, and fishes, usually have close relationships with pearl oyster beds.

Human relevance

This species is commonly farmed and harvested for pearls, and there is general consensus that the quality of pearls from Pinctada margaritifera is the highest quality out of all the pearl oysters. Pearls form when a small particle enters into the oyster and nacre is released by the oyster to coat the particle or object, eventually creating a small pearl. The particle might be a grain of sand, organic material, or even a parasite. The oyster's release of the nacre serves as an adaptation of the immune system to isolate the invasive particle and irritation. P. margaritifera in particular produces gray or black pearls.
The benthic ecology of the region is a significant factor in the rate of production and the quality of pearls. Rocky, gravelly bottoms and low silt concentrations are preferable, and currents are necessary to keep the water clean with fresh phytoplankton and removal of fecal matter. Stronger currents cause faster but lower quality pearl development.