Queen scallop

Overview

Both convex valves bear about twenty radiating ribs and hinge ears; the rounded shell reaches nine centimetres. Colours and markings vary. It lives on sand or gravel from the intertidal zone to about 100 metres.

Young scallops attach with byssal threads; larger individuals detach and can swim. BIOTIC lists suspension feeding, permanent hermaphroditism, external fertilization and an 11-30-day larval phase. Its reproductive traits are explicitly unrefereed.

In the 1922 impression of The Sea Shore, W. S. Furneaux calls Pecten opercularis the Quin and notes its use as food. His Plate V list separates it from P. maximus and P. varius. The cached Catalogue of Life release links Pecten opercularis to Aequipecten opercularis; the old combination therefore identifies this account, rather than the king or variable scallop.

Furneaux's broader scallop account explains the shell hinge as a straight line with a narrow ligament and a central cartilage pit. He describes the mantle's fringed inner margin bearing eyes and fine tentacles, crescent-shaped gills and a finger-like foot. He also explains swimming through repeated valve movements. These are historical genus-level descriptions, not species-specific measurements or an exact eye count. His broad Pecten grouping and comparative statements about which valve is more convex are not adopted as current taxonomy or a reliable sided diagnosis.

Origins & earliest records

Marine

Evidence & interpretation

Institutional accounts.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   The Sea Shore

   W. S. Furneaux · 1922

   Selected scallop account, pp.222-223; historical genus context distinguished.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Institutional accountAequipecten opercularisResearch access: 2026-10-21
2. Unrefereed institutional traits accountAequipecten opercularis: BIOTICResearch access: 2026-10-21
3. Historical natural-history account, pp.222-223The Sea ShoreResearch access: 2026-10-21
4. Taxonomic checklistCatalogue of Life, 2026-09-11Research access: 2026-10-21

Image credits

AI interpretation: queen scallop shell.