Natural history collections and overlooked fauna: Pinctada longisquamosa (Bivalvia) in the Colombian Caribbean

Resumen

The scaly pearl oyster, Pinctada longisquamosa (Margaritidae), is a resident of shallow marine habitats within the western Atlantic tropical region from Florida to Venezuela. This species remained unrecognized for an extended period due to frequent misidentification with other western Atlantic oysters such as Pinctada imbricata and the Pteriidae species Pteria colymbus. In this study, we confirm its presence in the Colombian Caribbean based on stored and uncatalogued specimens from the molluscan collection of the Museo de Historia Natural Marina – Makuriwa – in Santa Marta, Colombia. All specimens were collected on mangrove roots. This discovery underscores the invaluable role of natural history museums in documenting biogeographic distribution patterns and contributes to a voucher record of Colombia's marine malacological fauna.