Fisheries and Oceans Canada
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Archived – Scallop
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Scallops are "molluscs" (invertebrate animals) with two hinged shells. They filter their food from the surrounding water. Scallops differ from oysters, clams and mussels in their ability to "swim" short distances by the rapid snapping of their shells. This ability develops an oversized muscle referred to as the scallop adductor. Scallops generally remain sedentary in dense local populations called ‘beds’.
