King scallop

General

Shellfish

Shellfish is a culinary term that is often used for several species of molluscs, gastropods, bivalves and arthropods. Some examples are the St. James shell, mussels, razor clams, oysters, cockles and whelks. Most shellfish live partly or fully buried into the seabed, mostly in sandy or gravelly bottoms. They feed by filtering nutrients out of the water. Seed and eggs are released into the water and fertilized externally. Most shellfish are hermaphroditic, they can be both male and female. There are many different shellfish species in the North Sea that are very much suitable for consumption. Fishing methods on shellfish include hand-picking, dredging or mechanic dredges (suckers).

King scallop

The most well-known species of scallop is the king scallop (Pecten maximus), also known as the great scallop or the St. James shell. This is the largest European scallop and can reach maximum lengths of 17 centimetres. The scallops’ shell is either white, brown, or pink and can be found from Norway down to Portugal. Most scallops, which are sold in shops, are sold without the shell. These are often different species, such as the Atlantic deep-sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus), the Patagonian scallop (Zygochlamis patagonia) , or the Yesso scallop (Patinopecten vessoenis).