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Information About

Pearl Oyster




  Name Pearl Oysters
  Regnum Animal ia
  Phylum Mollusca
  Classis Bivalvia
  Ordo Pterioida
  Familia Pteriidae
  Genus '''''Pinctada'''''
  Subdivision Ranks Species


The Pearl Oysters are the Genus ''Pinctada'' of Bivalve Mollusc s. They are classified in the Family Pteriidae . They are not closely related to the edible Oyster s of family Ostreidae .

All members of the genus share the physiological properties that lead to the production of large Pearl s 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.


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