The nacre laid down by Pinctada is so thin that blemishes on the mussel bead can be seen through it, so it is possible that the dark shell material of Megalonaias could show through. However, I believe the pearl folk prefer to start with a white, blemish-free bead. In fact, there are entire populations that clammers won't touch because of blemishes in the nacre peculiar to that population.
As for fecal material, they probably were referrinig to pseudo-feces, which are used by other organisms (scuds, for instance).
G.Thomas Watters, PhD
Curator of Molluscs
Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology
The Ohio State University
1315 Kinnear Rd.
Columbus, OH 43212 USA
v: 614-292-6170
f: 614-292-7774
----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Gettleman <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sunday, January 23, 2005 2:46 pm
Subject: Re: mussels
> Thanks to Art for this information, for those not getting home
> delivery of
> the Cincinnati Enquirer, the article is at:
> http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050123/NEWS01/501230417
> It is always fun to read popular articles for the mistakes. Two
> statementsseemed improbabe. The first was the Megalonaias shell
> was used for it had
> black material which made black pearls in Asia. Well Megalonaias
> does have
> dark or discolored portions of the nacre, the U.S. freshwater
> pearl material
> inserted into Asian shells should not affect the color, as the
> mussel into
> which it is inserted will create an outer layer of the same shell
> material/color as it's nacre. The second was that the mussels were
> important in the food chain as food particles they excrete are
> used by other
> acquatic animals. Well mussels are filter feeders and the
> effluent of
> material they do not utilize would be exactly the same material
> already in
> the water and available for other animals. By chance are they
> alluding to
> mussel fecal material? Still an interesting article that the lowly
> freshwater clam is a valuable shell, and in life there are cattle
> rustlersand also clam rustlers. . .
>
> Alan Gettleman
> Merritt Island, FL
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 10:09 AM
> Subject: mussels
>
>
> > Dear All;-
> > Todays Cincinnati Enquirer has a front page article on modern
> musselrustlers. It reports that the endangered "Washboard Mussel"
> is being rustled
> from the Licking River in Kentucky and being sold to Japan and
> China for use
> in making cultured black pearls. The Washboard mussel can grow up
> to ten
> inches and live up to 100 years.---if allowed to.
> > Art
> >
> > PLEASE NOTE: My new, long-term, and correct email address is:
> [log in to unmask] Please update your records!
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
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