1000 Natural Pearls

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

More or less?

[pattye]

Whoa! That is really something!! I don't know what, though.

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

California mussel (Mytilus californianus). I've seen multiples before, but this specimen had more than ever.

Pearls of all ages. One year to five or six years.

[dkan 168]

Too gritty as sushi I take it!

DK

[lisa c]

Good Lord! What was attacking it? Isn't this one of your experimental shells, that normally live battered by Pacific Coast waves, but you are sheltering?

[Caitlin]

Mussel cancer?

[R&B]

Looks pretty weird Dave.

Could you please post a pic of one of your shells open with the flesh still in.

A bit of a selfish request, but I'm curious to see one.

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Mussel cancer?

It stands to reason.

Too many pearls for the usual parasite suspects. These are spontaneous and point to the heart, suggesting a blood/autoimmune issue.

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Looks pretty weird Dave.

Could you please post a pic of one of your shells open with the flesh still in.

A bit of a selfish request, but I'm curious to see one.

The surface you see on each mantle was against the shell.

Here's a couple pics. (note the byssal cysts)

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Isn't this one of your experimental shells, that normally live battered by Pacific Coast waves, but you are sheltering?

This is a wild one from a sheltered, but tide swept area.

[GemGeek]

That's very interesting. Very.

[dmj]

super nice !

[Amrita]

That's very interesting. Very.

I agree, but the pics made my tummy do a weird turn..

[lisa c]

Thank you for saying that Amrita. I found the pictures/ situation truly disturbing as in GROSS ME OUT freaked. I know, pearls come from somewhere, but it reminded me of Chicken Pox, just pitiful. I pictured that poor mollusk under attack by an army of something, until cancer was mentioned and that's worse.

I know it's apostasy, but give me a nice clean tissue nucleated pearl any day, over a life and death struggle. I'm a total Wuss. A total WeenieArm.

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Thank you for saying that Amrita. I found the pictures/ situation truly disturbing as in GROSS ME OUT freaked. I know, pearls come from somewhere, but it reminded me of Chicken Pox, just pitiful. I pictured that poor mollusk under attack by an army of something, until cancer was mentioned and that's worse.

Mussels don't have brains and as such don't process pain the way we do. This specimen was likely unaware of it's situation, because it had good circulation, was sexually active and feeding normally.