Photo of the Week

“Scallops have eyes that line the edges of both top and bottom shells.

Photo: Virginia Warren

I also learned a lot about the anatomy of a sea scallop. Sea scallops are either male or female depending on the color of their reproductive gland, called the gonad. If a scallop has a red gonad, then that means it is a female scallop. If the gonad is a cream/yellow color, then that means the scallop is a male. The scallop is connected to both sides of its shell with the large white part called the adductor muscle. This is the part that gets eaten. The adductor muscle is also the part that allows the scallop to clasp its shell shut. Scallops are also able to swim by sucking water into its shell and then quickly clasping the shell shut, which makes the scallop ‘swim’. Scallops have eyes that line the edges of both top and bottom shells. See if you can spot eyes on the scallops below." - Virginia Warren