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FINE LUSTROUS MULTICOLOR SHELL CARVING of a SIAMESE BETTA FIGHTING FISH
Item #	:	212 1186
Type	:	Hand-carved lustrous multicolor natural shells hand-carved ~ 3-dimensional ~ this shell carving could make a stunning pendant or other designer jewelry
Amount	:	1 (one) piece * All photos are taken from the actual item *
Design	:	A beautiful BETTA / SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH carving. Each piece is hand-carved one by one by master-craftsmen and therefore the design may vary slightly. This makes each carving a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
Material	:	Natural color Purple Clam shell, Paua Abalone shell, golden Mother-of-Pearl shell, and black Pinna Pen shell
Color	:	Multicolor, purple, golden yellow and black
Weight	:	approx. 4.05 grams
Dimensions	:	Length: approx. 40.86 mm = 1.60 inches Height: approx. 37.61 mm (measured at the widest point) Width / thickness of shell carving: approx. 11.00 mm
Perforation	:	This shell carving is drilled from top of the body halfway down with an approx. 1 mm diameter drill hole. This is not a ready to wear piece of jewelry.
Origin	:	We buy all our shell material directly from the farms (aqua culture) off the coast of the Island of Sumbawa. All our Paua Abalone shell material we buy from New Zealand. This shell carving is handcrafted in Bali (Indonesia) by our in-house Balinese shell carvers.
Hand-carving	:	Our shell carvings are all hand carved. This is not a machine mass produced item. This item is handmade and each piece is made one by one which make each piece a one-of-a-kind piece of art. We know you will enjoy using and wearing our shell carvings as much as we enjoyed making them.
Type of shells	:	Purple Clam Shell ~ Nuttallia obscurata, the purple mahogany clam, dark mahogany clam, varnish clam or savory clam, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Psammobiidae. The valves are thin, relatively shallow, and almost oval in shape. They can reach 6.4 cm (2.5 inches) long. Individuals can achieve a maximum weight of 45 grams. The exterior of the valves is covered in a shiny brown periostracum, hence one of its common names, "varnish clam". The periostracum is often worn away at the umbo. There are concentric rings on the outside of the valves which can be observed where the periostracum has been removed. The interior of the valves is deep purple to almost white in some individuals. The prominent hinge ligament is external to the valves. Nuttallia obscurata has a large white, muscular foot that it uses to dig in the sand and for propulsion. The animal has two long, white, separate siphons. These clams are found in the mid to high intertidal zone, buried in sand, gravel, or silt, from just below the surface to 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) deep. They have greater tolerance for salinity conditions than native clams and are sometimes found in brackish waters near freshwater seeps. The species is native to Japan, Korea, China, and Indonesia. It has been naturalized in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. Its range includes the coast of Vancouver Island, the Strait of Georgia, Puget Sound, and south along the coast to Coos Bay. It is considered an invasive species in North America. The first collection of Nuttallia obscurata in North America occurred in 1991 near Vancouver. It is hypothesized that planktonic larvae were released by a ship disposing of ballast water she had pumped aboard in Asia. A 2006 study of reproductive ecology and dispersal potential suggested that a "lengthy planktonic phase, combined with favourable oceanographic circulation patterns, has contributed to the rapid dispersal and geographic range expansion of the varnish clam in the Northeast Pacific." By 1998, the species had reached Washington beaches. Where they find suitable habitat, these clams can reach densities of as high as 800 individuals per square meter. Nuttallia obscurata can live at least six years. They begin life as free-swimming plankton. This planktonic stage can last from 3 to 8 weeks before they settle to the bottom as recognizable clams. They become reproductively mature at one year old. This species is protandrous, where the young forms are male and then become female later in life. In each population, there are males and females in approximately equal numbers, and 4-5% of the population is hermaphroditic. In some populations, the sex ratio skews towards males for reasons that are not known. Females have been observed to produce between 40,000 and 6,000,000 eggs during the summer breeding season. These oocytes are 55 micrometres (0.0022 inches) in diameter. Fertilization takes place by broadcast spawning. Nuttallia obscurata has two methods of feeding. It is a filter feeder, drawing water in with one siphon and straining out algae and other nutrients. It then ejects water and waste from its other siphon. This species also has the ability to gather material from the surrounding sand with its foot, sweeping detritus to its mouth. Paua Abalone shell is produced by the New Zealand Abalone (Haliotis iris), the most colorful shell. The name Paua is the name the Maori call the shell we know as Abalone from the deep waters of the South Island of New Zealand. These waters are a lot colder being so close to the Antarctic Basin. This is why the colors of Paua Abalone are more vibrant and deeper in color than any other Abalone found in the world. The lustrous iridescence is a rainbow blue, green and various shades of red. This Paua Abalone shell is an inspiration from nature’s spectrum of rainbow colors. Golden Mother-of-Pearl is produced by the Pinctada maxima mollusk ~ the South Sea pearl oyster They are currently cultured in areas throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans, primarily in Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines. These waters are the native habitat of a large oyster known as Pinctada maxima. This oyster grows up to 12 inches in diameter and much larger than other saltwater oysters There are two varieties of Pinctada maxima, the silver-lipped and the gold-lipped. The two are distinguished by their distinct coloration of the outer edge of the interior. This type of shell is known as Mother-of-Pearl, and is responsible for the coloration of the cultured pearls produced, therefore the name. Pinna shell species are large saltwater clams sometimes known as pen shells. They are marine bivalve mollusks. Pen pearl is a term used for pearls from the shell species Pinna. This species is found in the waters of the Indian and Pacific Ocean and also in the Mediterranean. These shells produce both nacreous and non-nacreous pearls. The pearls often exhibit a dark grey to black body color with overtones of bright green, blue, purple, silver, and pink. We buy natural pearls directly from the divers throughout the Indo Pacific region. Found in the pristine tropical waters off the coast of the New Guinea.
Siamese Fighting Fish	:	The Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens), also known as the betta, is a freshwater fish native to Thailand (formerly Siam) and present in neighboring Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. While colloquially known and marketed in the global aquarium trade as the "betta", it is one of 73 species in the genus Betta. Siamese fighting fish are among the most popular and widely available aquarium fish in the world, due to their varied and vibrant color, diverse morphology, and relatively low maintenance. Mostly concentrated in Thailand's Chao Phraya river basin, bettas were discovered in the still waters of canals, rice paddies and floodplains, where they are still found; they have been kept and bred since at least the mid-19th century, and possibly much earlier. Their famously vibrant colors, large and flowy fins, and aggressive behavior are the result of generations of intensive artificial selection, for which they are sometimes known as "designer fish of the aquatic world". Bettas are well known for being highly territorial, with males prone to attacking each other if housed in the same tank; without a means of escape, this will usually result in the death of one or both fishes. Female bettas can also become territorial towards one other in too small of an aquarium. Bettas are exceptionally tolerant of low oxygen levels and poor water quality, owing to their special labyrinth organ, a characteristic unique to the suborder Anabantoidei that allows for the intake of air. In addition to its worldwide popularity, the Siamese fighting fish is the national aquatic animal of Thailand, due to its historical and cultural significance. Thailand remains the primary breeder and exporter of bettas for the global aquarium market. Despite their abundance as pets, B. splendens is listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN, due to increasing pollution and habitat destruction.
Remarks	:	This fine shell carving could make a spectacular pendant or other designer jewelry. This is not a ready to wear piece of jewelry. Don’t miss the opportunity to own this beautiful hand-carved piece of art

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