Pinctada maculata   (Gould, 1850)


Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Pinctada maculata  AquaMaps  Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Pinctada maculata

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS

Gastropoda | Ostreida | Margaritidae

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Benthic; depth range 0 - 20 m (Ref. 348).  Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Indo-Pacific and North Atlantic: from Cocos (Keeling) Islands to eastern Polynesia; north to Japan and south to northern New South Wales, Kermadec, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 6.0 cm ShL male/unsexed; (Ref. 348); common length : 5.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 348)

Short description Morphology

Shell rather thin and small, subquadrate in outline, with a short and ill-defined posterior ear which is not drawn out into a wing-like process. Anterior margin protruding only slightly or not at all beyond the tip of the anterior ear. Outer surface of shell, when not worn, covered with numerous, flattened and brittle, imbricating concentric scales bearing slender, radially projecting spines, especially toward the margins. Hinge lines with 2 small teeth on each valve; 1 rounded anterior tubercle just in front of the umbo, and 1 slightly slanting posterior ridge behind the ligamental area. Parallel accessory ridges sometimes developed on both valves, so that the posterior teeth appear double. Colour: outside of shell with a variable coloration, usually white to tan with a number of purple, or brown to black radiating bands and sometimes a superimposed pattern of finely wavy concentric lines of reddish brown. Internal nacreous area with pale yellow to deep orange-gold tint. Non-nacreous margin with white porcelaneous patches, generally alternating with irregular, dark purplish brown or black blotches.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found in intertidal rock pools, to immediate subtidal depths on reefs (Ref. 377). Byssally attached to rocks, the underside of stones or coral pieces. Littoral and sublittoral to a depth of about 20 m. Extremely common in shallow water Polynesian lagoons. Produces regular but rather small yellow pearls. Locally exploited for its edible meat, golden nacreous shell and, sometimes, for pearls (Ref. 348).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Members of the class Bivalvia are mostly gonochoric, some are protandric hermaphrodites. Life cycle: Embryos develop into free-swimming trocophore larvae, succeeded by the bivalve veliger, resembling a miniature clam.

Main reference References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Poutiers, J.M. 1998. (Ref. 348)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES status (Ref. 108899)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless

Human uses


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FAO areas
Ecosystems
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Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Common names
Synonyms
Predators
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Morphology
Larvae
Abundance
References
Mass conversion
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Internet sources

BHL | BOLD Systems | CISTI | DiscoverLife | FAO(Publication : search) | Fishipedia | GenBank (genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | Gomexsi | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | PubMed | Tree of Life | Wikipedia (Go, Search) | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 23.6 - 29.3, mean 28.3 (based on 3476 cells).
Vulnerability (Ref. 71543): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.