Florida Bay
In Florida Bay, where the pearl oyster is most thoroughly documented, its preferred habitat is shallow seagrass, particularly "Thalassia testudinum", often intermixed with seaweed. Less frequently, "Pinctada longisquamosa" has been recorded in mixed algae on mangrove roots and rocks, in "Halimeda" (a genus of green macroalgae) clumps, associated with sponges and gorgonian stalks, and attached to floating "Sargassum" (a large, brown seaweed). It is sometimes found on the ocean side of the afore-mentioned islands, but only in near-shore shallows, and is considered more typical of shallow Florida Bay. The deepest record for living specimens of "Pinctada longisquamosa" is 4 m, supporting its characterization as a shallow water bivalve.