Shell · Genus
Pinctada
Pearl oysters
Pearl oysters (Pinctada) are the source of cultured pearls and mother-of-pearl; the black-lip Pinctada margaritifera of Polynesia, the silver-lip P. maxima of Australia and the small Akoya P. fucata of Japan are the farmed species. Polished shells with the nacre exposed are sold as décor and for inlay. Fossil Pinctada are known from the Cretaceous.
| Habitat | Reefs and lagoons, tropical, attached by byssus |
|---|---|
| Regions | Indo-Pacific, Persian Gulf, Australia, French Polynesia, Caribbean |
| Family | Margaritidae |
| Authority (WoRMS) | Röding, 1798· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Status (WoRMS) | accepted· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Classification (WoRMS) | Animalia › Mollusca › Bivalvia › Ostreida › Margaritidae· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
CITES and protection
Not CITES-listed; pearl oysters are farmed and wild harvest is regulated nationally (Australia, French Polynesia). Natural pearls have their own trade rules.
Care (Byne's disease)
Nacre is stable; the outer prismatic layer flakes if allowed to dry too fast.
Elsewhere
- WoRMS AphiaID: 138396
- Wikidata: Q1140748
- WoRMS / MolluscaBase record
- Wikipedia: Pinctad
- CITES Appendices
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Pinctada" (Shell family). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/shells/pinctada. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-pinctada,
title = {Pinctada},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/shells/pinctada}},
year = {2026},
note = {Shell family article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, worms, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.