Other Definitions
pearl oyster (dict)
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Pearl Oyster | Pearl Oysters |
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| | | Scientific classification |
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| | | Species | Pinctada maxima
Pinctada margaritifera
Pinctada fucata
Pinctada radiata
Pinctada albina
Pinctada virens
Pinctada chemnitzi
Pinctada maculata
Pinctada nigra
Pinctada atropurpurea
Pinctada laosensis
Pinctada martensi | The Pearl Oysters are the genus Pinctada of bivalve molluscs. They are classified in the family Pteriidae. They are not closely related to the edible oysters of family Ostreidae. All members of the genus share the physiological properties that lead to the production of large pearls of commercial value, and attempts have been made to harvest pearls commercially from many of the species. However the only species that are currently of significant commercial interest are: The different species produce different types of pearls. Black South Sea Pearls, or Tahitian pearls come from the Black-lip oyster; White and Golden South Sea pearls from the White-lip and Golden-lip oysters; and Akoya cultured pearls from the Japanese pearl oyster. Pearls are also obtained in commercial quantities from some species of the related genus Pteria, and also from the freshwater mussel species Hyriopsis schlegeli. Though also a bivalve, this last species is unrelated to the oysters. External links and
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