Scallop, << SKAHL uhp or SKAL uhp, >> is a marine animal that is a popular human food. Scallops are bivalve mollusks (animals with a two-pieced shell). They live in shallow waters in almost all seas and often are found in large groups.
The scallop shell consists of two equal rounded pieces called valves, which often have fanlike, radiating ribs. At the hinge of the shell, where the ligament unites the valves, there are two winglike projections called ears. The inside of the shell is lined with fleshy skin called the mantle. The edge of the mantle is folded and fringed with numerous tentacles (feelers). A row of brightly colored eyes lies at the base of the tentacles. Scallops normally keep their shells open. But in case of danger, they use large adductor muscles to close the shell. Some scallops can propel through the water by rapidly opening and closing their shells.
Several species of scallops live along the Atlantic and Pacific North American coasts. An important commercial species is the common bay scallop, found in inlets from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico. Another commercially harvested species is the sea scallop, which may grow to 8 inches (20 centimeters) in width. It occurs from Labrador to North Carolina and is common off Maine and Nova Scotia. Sea scallops are harvested by dragging chain bags over the ocean bottoms. The scallop’s adductor muscle is the only part of the animal sold for food. Scallop shells have been used widely in designs and as utensils.
