Pearl Culture

Pearl Culture :-

The artificial pearl culture is a complicated and time consuming process. It is performed technically and with precision . The process involves the following steps :

i)                    Collection of oyster :- The oyster are collected from the sea bottom. These are collected by the divers . the oyster are kept in water containers . these are segregated in the groups of same age groups

ii)                   Egg Laying & incubation of eggs :- The oyster lay egg in shallow water . the eggs are incubated artificially . the youngones are transferred of rearing cages.

iii)                 Rearing of pond :- The oyster are reared in the rearing cages, the cages are rectangular structure oh heavy wire . The wire is covered by coal-tar and concrete mixture . these are divided in to 4- 6 smaller chambers . The collected youngones are kept in rearing cages for 10 to 26 days .In These cages , oyster are protected from their enemies like octopus,Devil fish etc.

iv)                 Insertion of nucleus :- The insertion of nucleus is very important part of the pearl culture. Nisihikow’s method is followed mainly, it involves the following steps

a)      Selection of oyster :- the best oyster are selected for pearl culture . their testis & ovary are removed . the oyster are subjected to be stress that they will open their shells The two pieces of shell are kept open by inserting a stick

b)      Preparation of graft tissue and nucleus :- The graft tissue is the piece of tissue inserted in the mantle , a strip of oyster is taken from a healthy oyster. It is trimmed  & cut in the small square rather tha these calcareous nucleus is preferred .

c)       Insertion of the nucleus :-  Oyster can fixed in clamp , so that the right valve is on upper side . the mantle pushed gently to expose the foot and main visceral mass. The cut is made into visceral mass & foot. The graft tissue is placed into the cut of visceral mass, nucleus is

placed over graft tissue , now shell get closed

d)      Development of pearl & collection :- The oyster are kept in sea water in caged condition at depth of 2 to 3 metres for 2-3 years

e)      The collection of pearl happened at last , cleaned & washed with the help of soap solution.