Pearl oysters are saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Pteriidae. They have a strong inner shell layer composed of nacre, also known as "mother of pearl".
Pearl oysters are not closely related to either the edible oysters of family Ostreidae, or the freshwater pearl mussels of the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae.
Pinctada maxima pearl oysters are the only oyster that produces South Sea pearls. Currently they are cultured primarily in Australia and Tahiti.
Gulf pearl oyster, Pinctada radiata; Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and throughout the Indo-Pacific as far as Japan and Australia.
Black-lip oyster, Pinctada margaritifera; Persian Gulf and southwestern part of Indian Ocean; Fiji; Tahiti; Myanmar; Baja California; Gulf of Mexico
Gold-lip oyster, Pinctada maxima; Australia; Fiji; Tahiti;
Akoya pearl oyster or Akoya pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata (also called P. imbricata), Red Sea; Sri Lanka; Persian Gulf; Indian Ocean; Western Pacific Ocean; Australia; China;
Shark Bay pearl oyster Pinctada albina; Australia
The various species of Pinctada produce different maximum sizes and colors of pearls, depending on the size of the species and the natural color of the nacre inside the shell. 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 Pinctada fucata martensii, the Akoya pearl oyster.
