06/06/2023
A Corrugated Scallop? Among the features that hold one’s attention in a Mediterranean Scallop, Pecten jacobaeus, are the strong, sharp-edged ribs that are distinctively squarish in cross-section. The shell ribs are reminiscent of a corrugated roof, or the core of corrugated cardboard. Corrugated arrangements add great strength to structures, without adding too much weight to them. In a bivalve shell, corrugations not only add strength, but also help keep the valves aligned and tightly closed, preventing a predator from sliding one valve past each other to reach the tasty soft parts inside. You can see variations around the “shell corrugation theme” in other bivalves such as cockles, arks, some oysters, and many others. The shell depicted in the photo is part of the National Shell Museum's collection, catalogue number BMSM 23597. Read more about mollusks and their shells at https://shellmuseum.org/blog
