Great scallops are a large bivalve mollusc, its shell have radiating ridges and the characteristic scallop wings by the hinge.
The two shells are actually different: one is curved like a bowl and the upper shell is flat like a lid.
They live in a self-dug hollow on sandy or gravelly seabed’s.
Behaviour
Scallops are predated on by starfish, but can actually swim out of harm’s way by rapidly opening and shutting their shells, sending out jets of water which propel them over short distances!
Scallops are filter feeders, filtering out plankton and other marine animals out of the water column.
Size
Up to 15 cm diameter.
Status
Common
Distribution
Rarer on the East Coast, but commonly found around Scotland’s Coastline.
When to see
All year round.