About Aequipecten opercularis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Aequipecten opercularis reaches an adult size of around 7 cm (3 inches), making it one of the smaller scallop species that is harvested commercially. The species has a thin, brittle shell that is sometimes quite brightly coloured. Its shell features roughly 20 radiating ribs. The left valve of the shell is slightly more convex than the right valve. On the right valve, one of the auricles is larger than the other; this forms a notch near the hinge. Young scallops use their modified foot to spin byssal threads through this notch. Older individuals of this species are free-swimming.
