Effects of nucleus position, profile and arrangement on the quality of mabé pearls produced by the winged pearl oyster, Pteria penguin

Factors influencing half‐pearl (mabe) production and quality in the red abalone Haliotis rufescens

“…This problem occurred because mantle tissue at the ventral‐distal position folds and does not always cover the nucleus, leaving it partially or totally exposed (Figure e). In support to these findings, a particular position on the shell (posterior region of the left valve rather than the anterior region) was identified as optimal for maximizing mabe quantity and quality in the winged pearl oysters Pteria sterna (Saucedo et al, ) and P. penguin (Gordon et al, , ), in spite of their anatomical differences with abalone. Given these results, we recommend avoiding the ventral position for implanting H. rufescens .…”

“…So far, adapting a technology originally developed for sessile bivalves to motile gastropods such as abalone has required research for overcoming anatomical differences. In pearl oysters, for example, the position of implanted nuclei on the shell is perhaps the most important aspect to consider (Gordon et al, ; Gordon, Malimali, Wingfield, Kurtböke, & Southgate, ; Kishore, Southgate, Seeto, & Hunter, ; Ruíz‐Rubio, Acosta‐Salmón, Olivera, Southgate, & Rangel‐Dávalos, ). As a rule, nuclei placed towards the posterior side of the shell result in more symmetrical mabe than nuclei placed on the anterior side.…”

“…In bivalves, there is a falling point for each oyster producing the maximum number of high quality mabe before their average quality decreases. As a rule, larger pearl oyster species ( P. maxima , P. margaritifera , Pteria penguin ) can receive more nuclei than smaller pearl oyster species ( Pteria sterna , P. fucata, Pinctada imbricata ) before average quality decreases (Gordon et al, , ; Kishore et al, ; Ruíz‐Rubio et al, ; Saucedo et al, ). While most of these technical aspects involved in mabe production are relatively well known in pearl oysters, they are unavailable for abalone (Hutchins, ; Wentzell, ) and are required to optimize the technology for producing high‐quality mabe in these species.…”

“…In bivalves, there is a falling point for each oyster producing the maximum number of high quality mabe before their average quality decreases. As a rule, larger pearl oyster species (P. maxima, P. margaritifera, Pteria penguin) can receive more nuclei than smaller pearl oyster species (Pteria sterna, P. fucata, Pinctada imbricata) before average quality decreases (Gordon et al, 2018(Gordon et al, , 2019Kishore et al, 2013;Ruíz-Rubio et al, 2006;Saucedo et al, 1998).…”

Potential combinations of mabé, keshi and cultured pearl production from colourful hatchery-produced Pinctada margaritifera

“…However, traditionally, the term mabé refers to the product from the winged pearl oyster, Pteria penguin (Röding, 1758) or "mabé gai" (Southgate et al, 2008). Pteria penguin is cultured for mabé production in Japan, Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Tonga (Southgate et al, 2008;Gordon et al, 2019). Other species found along the Gulf of California and the Pacific coast of Mexico also used for mabé production are the related rainbow-lip pearl oyster, Pteria sterna (Gould 1851) (Ruíz-Rubio et al, 2006) and Pinctada mazatlanica (Hanley, 1856) (Saucedo et al, 1998).…”