HALLOWEEN - Winged Pearl Oyster with Blister Pearl Pteria...

Pteria penguin – The winged oyster and its pearl Specimen of Pteria penguin (Röding, 1798), a bivalve mollusk belonging to the family Pteriidae, known as the winged pearl oyster for the particular conformation of its shell. The specimen, indicated as originating from Japan, retains a valve with an intensely mother-of-pearl inner surface, on which an hemispherical nacreous formation develops, commonly called a blister pearl or mabé. The most evident characteristic of Pteria penguin is the strongly asymmetric shape of the shell. One end develops into a wide rounded expansion, while the other narrows forming an elongated structure that resembles a wing. This geometry distinguishes the species from blister oysters of the genus Pinctada, which are generally characterized by more rounded valves. The inner surface presents a broad area of nacre in silver, ivory and gold tones, traversed by pink, green and blue reflections that change with the angle of observation. A dark, almost black band follows the edge of the valve and creates a stark contrast with the central nacreous region. Toward the top of the shell there is a rounded formation, with a smooth and glossy surface and a warm coloration ranging from honey, bronze to golden brown. Its shape is that of a small dome emerging directly from the inner surface of the valve. This structure belongs to the category of nacreous formations adherent to the shell, different from free pearls that develop in the soft tissues of the animal. The term blister pearl indicates a nacreous formation attached to the inner surface of the shell; mabé is instead used mainly for hemispherical pearls obtained through specific cultivation techniques.

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