Aequipecten muscosus



The Rough Scallop

Habitat Lives offshore. Rarely found on ocean beeches (1). Range North Carolina to the West Indies (1)

Description 1 3/4 inches. About 20 strong ribs. Many erect scales or small spines (1).

Ecological Notes Free living. Have an adductor muscle similar to that of oysters. One difference being that it is much larger and more developed than that of oysters to to their ability of being active swimmers. Scallops are the only migratory bivalve. They use the swimming ability to as a defense to swim away from predators. They are hermaphroditic (2). Personal When we were walking along the beach on Pea Island in the Outer Banks, I found a few rough scallop shells that had been washed up on the shoreline.

References

1) Porter, H. J. & Houser, Lynn. Seashells of North Carolina. Raleigh, North Carolina: North Carolina Sea Grant College Program.

2) Nation Master Online Encyclopedia

Articles These articles discuss the harmful effects on scallops due to dredging

1) Morsan. (2009). Impact on biodiversity of scallop dredging in San Matías Gulf, northern Patagonia (Argentina). Hydrobiologia, 619(1), 167-180.

2) Shephard, S. (2009). Hydrodredge: Reducing the negative impacts of scallop dredging. Fisheries Research, 95(2-3), 206-209.

Contributed by Tom Scott 2010

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