East Riding Museums

A Swift's Scallop shell (Clamys Swifti), from Japan. White and red brown, with fan shaped ribs. 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.