East Riding Museums

Lion's Paw Scallop shell (Lyropecten Nodusus), from Florida or the West Indies. Interior white and brown, exterior dirty yellow. Part of the Pamplin shell collection. Scallops are a type of bivalve mollusc - the soft body of the creature is entirely closed by two hinged sections of shell. Some scallops have the ability to open and close their shells (valves) rapidly, allowing them to swim away when danger threatens. In some types the top valve is convex, whilst the bottom valve is flat. Scallops are a commonly eaten form of sea food.