Byssus Silk (Sea silk)
Zoological information
- The Pinna Nobilis, locally known as the noble pen shells, are mostly seen with the neighbouring clams as they live in colonies.
- These endangered species are found deep under the sea or over the rocks on the shore near Sant’Antioco island in Sardinia, Italy, holding themselves to a rock.
- This helps them stay safe and avoid getting eaten by their predators.
- The noble pen shells have a unique quality that helps them adhere to the surface of the neighbouring shells.
- The organism within the shell set their foot onto a surface and spit out their saliva.
- The fascinating part about this saliva is it is infused with special proteins and has a protective layer which turns it into a fibre-like structure.
- Almost all the bivalves possess the ability to produce this fibre-like structure. Some of those species are mentioned as follows: Mytilus edulis, Mytilus trossulus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Mytilus californianus, Pinna nobilis, Perna perna, Xenostrobus securis, Brachidontes solisianus
Byssus silk fibres
- This structure, which appears as fibres, is fastened to the surface by an unusual waterproof glue that gets stiff when in contact with the seawater.
- This glue has remarkable capability of adhering it to the surface as well as it possesses high strength and extensibility which enables them to withstand the repetitive force produced by waves when the clams are residing over the rocks over the sea.
- At least 50-100 of these fibres are required by the pen shells for making a strong bond with the surface as a result these fibres collectively appear like the shells’ beard.
- These fibres are skilfully collected without harming the noble pen shells by sea silk weavers like Chiara Vigo, Giuseppina Assuntina Pes, etc.
- With 100 dives, harvesters can collect a supply of 300gms of raw material from which only 30 gms proves to be usable material which turns into 21 meters of twisted thread.
- After collecting, cleansing, and obtaining the usable matter, the obtained fibres are spun into yarn.
Typical uses
- The fabric produced by sea silk is extremely fine and lightweight, with a golden hue and a shiny appearance. It has been highly valued for its beauty and softness.
- Throughout history, civilisations such as the Phoenicians and the Romans have treasured sea silk for its luxurious qualities.
- However, due to the rarity of the noble pen shells and the labour-intensive production process, sea silk has always been considered a luxury material.
Table 1. List of Amino acid and its composition(mol%) present in bysuss silk
Amino Acid / Composition (mol %)
Aspartic acid
7.41
Threonine
3.99
Serine
6.63
Glutamic acid
4.24
Glycine
30.28
Alanine
11.37
Valine
4.15
Cystine
0.59
Methionine
0.89
Isoleucine
2.31
Leucine
2.85
Tyrosine
2.67
Phenylalanine
1.59
Lysine
3.94
Histidine
2.45
Arginine
3.71
Proline
5.65
Hydroxyproline
5.27
