Non Technical Summary

While the Australian pearl industry is based on the silverlip pearl oyster Pinctada maxima, there is increasing interest in pearl production from other species. One such species is the akoya pearl oyster, Pinctada imbricata, which is abundant in Australian waters.

Akoya pearl oysters have now been produced in a hatchery at James Cook University in Queensland and this paper compares the results of this first production run with those achieved in NSW over the past four years. In both cases, the larval phase of hatchery production is completed in approximately 20 days and small oysters (spat) are transferred to ocean nurseries within a further 30 days. Oysters can reach 50 mm in shell height within 12 - 14 months, a size at which they can be induced to produce pearls.

Overall, growth rates have been slightly faster in Queensland, possibly as a result of warmer water temperatures throughout the year.