FAMILY: Pteriidae
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NAME: Pinctada martensii - Pearl Oyster, Wing Oysters |
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Data provided courtesy of Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff - (Dr. Peter Perschbacher) |
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DISTRIBUTION: Mainly distributed along the near shore areas of Japan. HABITS: Intertidal to 20m on rocks. Found in the shallow waters and the main feeding method is filter feeding of the minute organisms.SPAWNING: Spawning begins when the water temperature is 77oF, in June or early July and ends by August. Sex reversal is common in pearl oysters.GROWTH: Larval development will take about 25 days. Post-larval growth will take about 6 months. Within that time the oyster will reach about 1.25 inches in size. The harvesting for pearls will take place at the age of 3-4 years when the size is about 3.13 inch.USES: Highly valuable as a source of pearl which is considers as one of the precious gems. The shell will contribute towards the production of lime.CULTURE: The pearl culture in Japan was started with this species by Mikimoto in 1894. 20% will be producing marketable pearls and 25%of that will be having exact qualities of a gem. Highly qualified and skilled labor is a prerequisite for this industry. Security also is a big problem.REFERENCES:
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