Photo of the Week

We are excited to bring back our Photo of the Week section so stay tuned for new content coming soon! In the meantime, take a look at these fantastic pictures from our teachers.

Sea Stars: A Scallop’s Worst Nightmare

January 27, 2020
Astropecten vs Sclerasterias (same family as Asterias, different genus): the smaller Astropecten target young scallops, while the Asterias/Sclerasterias target larger scallops.

Photo: Trevor Hance

Natural predators of scallops include various species of starfish, such as Astropecten and Asterias. These starfish use distinct predatory tools. The larger starfish, the Asterias, has a hydrologic musculature that allows it to essentially pull apart the shell of the scallop, inject digestive enzymes (aka – “putting its stomach inside the scallop”) and enjoy! The Astropecten is quite different because they completely engulf the scallop and digest it internally. The two types of starfish target different-aged scallops.
Read the blog post
More topics (78)

16 photos for scallop · Clear

Investigating Threats to ScallopsAugust 9, 2021Winter Flounder-landDecember 7, 2020Show and ShellNovember 9, 2020I Spy Something FishyJuly 27, 2020Sea Stars: A Scallop’s Worst NightmareJanuary 27, 2020A Varied Scallop PaletteMay 15, 2017What stands sea scallops apart from other bivalves?June 27, 2016Non-comprehensive anatomy of the scallop – by TAS15 Trevor Hance. Click to zoom.September 14, 2015RV Hugh R. Sharp crew cleans up after a dredge.July 20, 2015These four scallops pulled from a dredge demonstrate unique patterns.June 22, 2015“Scallops have eyes that line the edges of both top and bottom shells.October 21, 2013“The sea mouse is actually a polychaete which is a type of marine segmented worm.”July 29, 2013
Older →