Argopecten gibbus

Last updated

Atlantic calico scallop
Argopecten gibbus (Linnaeus, 1758) 000.JPG
The Atlantic callico scallop
Argopecten gibbus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Pectinida
Family: Pectinidae
Genus: Argopecten
Species:
A. gibbus
Binomial name
Argopecten gibbus

Argopecten gibbus, the Atlantic calico scallop, is a species of medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusk in the family Pectinidae, the scallops.

Contents

This species was once the basis of an important fishery, but in recent years catches have been low. [1]

Description

This species grows up to three inches in maximum width, and is similar in shape and sculpturing to the Atlantic bay scallop. Both valves of the shell are cupped. The shell near the hinge is extended into "ears", as is the case in all scallops. The shell of the Atlantic calico scallop has about 20 radial ribs, which are sometimes roughened by growth lines.

The exterior coloration of the upper (left) valve of this species is most typically a mottled pattern of purple on a cream background. The lower (right) valve of this scallop is usually whitish with small reddish or purple spotting on the sides. The interior of the shell is white, often with some beige coloration on the "ears" and top edge.

The eye-catching color of the shell of this species gave rise to its popular name; in the US, "calico" was for many years an inexpensive but colorful fabric printed with small flower patterns. The name is no longer in practice within the US.

Habitat

The Atlantic calico scallop ranges from Delaware to Brazil, and is still sometimes fished commercially. It is not found in bays; instead it lives in open water up to 100-foot depths. The shells are commonly found washed up on ocean beaches.

Valve color and shell morphometry distinguish calico scallops from related species. In the Indian River Lagoon in Florida, two other scallops occur: the bay scallop, (Argopecten irradians ), which generally has a uniform gray to gray-brown coloration with distinct convexity of the right (lower) valve. The other is the rough scallop, (Aequipecten muscosus), which has unequal 'ears' and has sharp scales on the lower surface of the ribs. The color of the rough scallop is yellow, orange, red or brownish.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scallop</span> Common name for several shellfish, many edible

Scallop is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families within the superfamily Pectinoidea, which also includes the thorny oysters.

<i>Chesapecten</i> Extinct genus of bivalves

Chesapecten is an extinct genus of scallop known from marine strata from the early Miocene to the early Pleistocene of the Eastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pholadidae</span> Family of bivalves

Pholadidae, known as piddocks or angelwings, are a family of bivalve molluscs similar to a clam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough scallop</span> Species of bivalve

The rough scallop, Aequipecten muscosus, grows up to 1.75 in (4.4 cm). It has a small, scallop-shaped shell with about 20 strong ribs which have many erect scales or small spines near the margin. The hinge line has ears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen scallop</span> Species of bivalve

The queen scallop is a medium-sized species of scallop, an edible marine bivalve mollusk in the family Pectinidae, the scallops. It is found in the northeast Atlantic and is important in fisheries.

<i>Aequipecten</i> Genus of bivalves

Aequipecten is a genus of scallops, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Pectinidae.

<i>Pecten novaezelandiae</i> Species of bivalve

Pecten novaezelandiae, common name the New Zealand scallop, is a bivalve mollusc of the family Pectinidae, the scallops. Its name is sometimes found misspelt as Pecten novaezealandiae.

<i>Lajonkairia lajonkairii</i> Species of bivalve

Lajonkairia lajonkairii is an edible species of saltwater clam in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams.

<i>Chlamys varia</i> Species of mollusc

Chlamys varia, also called Mimachlamys varia common name the variegated scallop, is a species of small scallop, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Pectinidae, the scallops. It occurs in the North Sea, the English Channel, the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea.

<i>Flexopecten felipponei</i> Species of bivalve

Flexopecten felipponei is a species of saltwater scallop, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Pectinidae, the scallops.

<i>Pecten maximus</i> Species of mollusc, also called St James shell

Pecten maximus, common names the great scallop, king scallop, St James shell or escallop, is a northeast Atlantic species of scallop, an edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Pectinidae. This is the type species of the genus. This species may be conspecific with Pecten jacobaeus, the pilgrim's scallop, which has a much more restricted distribution.

<i>Argopecten</i> Genus of bivalves

Argopecten is a genus of saltwater clams, or scallops, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Pectinidae.

<i>Argopecten irradians</i> Species of bivalve

Argopecten irradians, formerly classified as Aequipecten irradians, common names Atlantic bay scallop or bay scallop, is a species of scallop in the family Pectinidae. An edible saltwater clam, it is native to the northwest Atlantic from Cape Cod to the Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Euvola ziczac</i> Species of bivalve

Euvola ziczac, or the zigzag scallop, is a species of bivalve mollusc in the family Pectinidae. It can be found along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from North Carolina to the West Indies and Bermuda.

<i>Chlamys hastata</i> Species of bivalve

Chlamys hastata, the spear scallop, spiny scallop or swimming scallop, is a species of bivalve mollusc in the family Pectinidae found on the west coast of North America from the Gulf of Alaska to San Diego, California. A limited number of these scallops are harvested by divers or by narrow trawls off the west coast of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scallop aquaculture</span> Commercial activity of cultivating (farming) scallops

Scallop aquaculture is the commercial activity of cultivating (farming) scallops until they reach a marketable size and can be sold as a consumer product. Wild juvenile scallops, or spat, were collected for growing in Japan as early as 1934. The first attempts to fully cultivate scallops in farm environments were not recorded until the 1950s and 1960s. Traditionally, fishing for wild scallops has been the preferred practice, since farming can be expensive. However worldwide declines in wild scallop populations have resulted in the growth of aquaculture. Globally the scallop aquaculture industry is now well established, with a reported annual production totalling over 1,200,000 metric tonnes from about 12 species. China and Japan account for about 90% of the reported production.

<i>Nodipecten nodosus</i> Species of bivalve

Nodipecten nodosus, or the lion's paw scallop, is a species of bivalve mollusc in the family Pectinidae. It can be found along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from Cape Hatteras to the West Indies, including Brazil and Bermuda.

<i>Crassadoma</i> Genus of bivalves

Crassadoma is a genus of rock scallops, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Pectinidae. It is monotypic, the only species being Crassadoma gigantea, the rock scallop, giant rock scallop or purple-hinge rock scallop. Although the small juveniles are free-swimming, they soon become sessile, and are cemented to the substrate. These scallops occur in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Pecten albicans</i> Species of bivalve

Pecten albicans, common name Japanese baking scallop, is a species of marine bivalve mollusks in the family Pectinidae, the scallops.

<i>Chlamys australis</i> Species of bivalve

Chlamys australis, common name the "austral scallop", is a species of scallop, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Pectinidae, the scallops.

References