Mollusk Discovery

Scallops ():

(picture by Augsburg.edu)

 The common name is Bay Scallop and the scientific name is Aequipecten irradians.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Bivalve

Order: Anisomyaria

Family: Pectinidae

Video

Link (:

This is a link to a vidoe showing a scallops swimming.

 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6921003825332819870#

Characteristics

There are 300 different species of scallops in the ocean worldwide.One "cool" charateristtic of the bay scallop is that they have sixty eyes along the edge of their mantle to detect motion.  Also if one of their eyes was to be injured or lost, they can easily regrow it.

(picture taken by Augsburg.edu)

 This is a close up picture of the eyes on the scallop's mantle.

(picture by Augsburg.edu)
Another neat picture of the scallops's eyes. Although these eyes may not produce a clear image, they are quick on detecting motion.

(Picture by mywfc.com)
The second "cool" characteristic about the scallop is that they have the ablility to swim. This is an unusual trait since most bivalve's lack this trait. They use this triat to propel themsevles away from their predators.