Bay scallop

The Bay scallop is a small, fan-shaped mollusk found primarily along the Atlantic coast of the United States, especially in bays like Chesapeake and Delaware. It filters seawater to extract food, mainly plankton, and has a hinged shell with radiating ridges. Bay scallops are valued for their sweet, tender meat and are popular in seafood dishes. They reproduce by releasing eggs and sperm into the water, where fertilization occurs. Their populations are sensitive to environmental changes, making them important indicators of coastal ecosystem health.