Mimachlamys varia

Shell description

The shell of Mimachlamys varia comes in a range of colours and variegated patterns including white, pink, red, orange, yellow, or purple, and anything in between. Both valves are convex, rounded or oval, and symmetrical except for the ears on either side of the umbo. They are solid, inequivalve and inequilateral. They have 25 to 35 ribs radiating from the umbo bearing spatulate spines, which are more apparent near the margin. The valves are sculpted by fine concentric lines which show the annual growth rings. The anterior ear is considerably longer than the posterior ear. The right anterior ear has a notch to accommodate the byssus, which anchors the shell in place, and small teeth on the lower edge. The interior surface of the shell is glossy and is often the same colour as the exterior. The shell does not usually exceed 6 cm in length.

Distribution and habitat

This species of scallop lives in the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. Mimachlamys varia is a shallow-living species, living up to about 100m in depth along coastal rocky areas. It typically lives under boulders or among the holdfasts of seaweeds. This species is found in sheltered habitats in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, and because of its rapid decline there, it is listed as a Northern Ireland Priority Species.

Ecology

Like other scallops, this species is a filter feeder, drawing water through its gills and removing the edible fragments. It changes sex several times during the course of its development, becoming a male when fully mature. It is attached by byssus threads when young but may be detached when older. It is often overgrown by the holdfasts of the seaweeds among which it lives, and sponges such as Halichondria panicea may also grow over the shell.

Gallery

File:Chlamys varia brownish left valve.jpg| Left valve of Mimachlamys varia File:Chlamys varia gelb von aussen.jpg|Right and left valves of the yellow variety File:Chlamys varia Kammmuschel.jpg|Three beachworn valves of Mimachlamys varia from Wales File:Chlamys varia braun gefleckt von aussen.jpg| Right and left valves of the brown variety

References

References

1. Oakley, J.A.. (2007). "Variegated scallop (''Mimachlamys varia'')". MarLIN.
2. Allen & Mellon Environmental Ltd.. "''Chlamys varia'' – variegated scallop". Northern Ireland Priority Species.
3. (2022). "First study on the determination of baseline biomarkers in ''Mimachlamys varia'' for an intra-port environmental biomonitoring in French Atlantic coastline (La Rochelle)". Marine Pollution Bulletin.
4. {{SeaLifeBase species. (2023)
5. (2024). "''Mimachlamys varia'' (Linnaeus, 1758)".