I've always called these Queen Scallops. I have now discovered I was incorrect and may still be!
I think these are what we call Bay scallops. They are a member of the mollusk family as well.
I have collected dozens of them while at Sanibel Island.
They are edible and one of my favorites to eat.
They can develop both male and female organs making them able to fertilize their own eggs. Even though they spawn millions of eggs, only ONE survives to adulthood out of 12 million!
Spawning takes a lot out of these little guys too, once they've spawned, they become weak and vulnerable.
The REALLY neat thing about them is they have 60 bright blue eyes!
Fascinating to me.
Hopefully for you too!
Bay Scallop, Acrylic on canvas, 6 x 6
Day 7 of the 100 days~100 paintings Spring 2019
I’ll never look at one while eating, the same again....very fascinating and a beautiful piece of artwork!
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