Description
Pinctada margaritifera/Black-lipped Pearl Oyster
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 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.
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. A distinctive feature of the species is that the hinge has no teeth and has a very thin layer.
A bivalve shell is part of the body, the exoskeleton or shell, of a bivalve mollusk. In life, the shell of this class of mollusks is composed of two hinged parts or valves. The shell of a bivalve/clam is made up of three layers: the horny outer layer, middle layer called the prismatic layer, and the innermost layer called the pearly layer.
Notes:
1)The outer layer of this particular shells is very thin and fragile, and as such, it has uneven (cracked-like) edges.
2)These rough uneven edges are not manmade, but reflects nature’s imperfections perfectly.
