Scallop Shells in the Family PECTINIDAE and the closely related PROPEAMUSSIIDAE, Glass Scallops, are both classified in the Superfamily PECTINOIDEA. Scallop shells in both Families are generically referred to by collectors as "Pectens".

SCALLOPS IN HISTORY: Scallop shells have been a pervasive symbol throughout history; the scallop is most commonly associated with herldry. Family insignias or crests often were adorned with scallops and the adornment of armorial ensigns during the Middle Ages. In more recent years companies like the Shell Oil Corporation have branded their business around the scallop shell; appropriately so since the company got its start in 1833 as an import/export business with one of its commodities being seashells. The beauty and variability of Pectens have inspired artists for centuries. The scallop appears as a centerpiece or background image in many famous paintings by the great masters and continues to be found in the art of todays post-modern painters.

Pectens are extremely popular with shell collectors due in large part to the extreme variability in color, pattern, and form. A large array of Pectens exhibiting a range of colors and patterns can be a stunning and aesthetically pleasing display.

ECOLOGY: The Pectens, are bivalve mollusks that have been a major source of food bounty for as long as man has fished the oceans. The Pectens inhabit shallow and intertidal marine environments to as deep as a few hundred fathoms of water. The Pectens are the mainstay of many fishing fleets around the world.

LITERATURE: Though most information about Pectens are scattered through out a wide variety of popular and scientific publications, one poular book is very useful as an introduction to the beauty and diversity of these shells -- Guidebook To Pecten Shells, Recent Pectinidae And Propeamussiidae Of The World by A. Rombouts (Universal Book Services/Dr. W. Backhuys, 1991). Though some advanced conchologists disagree with some of the nomenclature used in the book, it is still a very important first reference when identifying the Pectens.

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Pectinidae
Pectinidae

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SELECTED PECTINIDAE LITERATURE

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PECTINOIDEA CLASSIFICATION

Phylum: MOLLUSCA (Linné, 1758) Cuvier, 1795

Class: BIVALVIA Linné, 1758

Subclass: PTERIOMORPHIA Beurlen, 1944

Order: OSTREOIDA Férussac, 1822

Suborder: PECTININA Waller, 1978

Superfamily: PECTINOIDEA Wilkes, 1810

Family: PROPEAMUSSIIDAE Abbott, 1954

Family: PECTINIDAE Wilkes, 1810

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Taxonomic Ref.:



PECTINOIDEA SUBFAMILIES, TRIBES & GENERA

Subfamily: PROPEAMUSSIINAE
FAMILY: PECTINIDAE
Subfamily: CAMPTONECTINAE
     
Subfamily: CHLAMYDINAE
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
SUBFAMILY: PECTININAE
Tribe PECTININI

REFERENCE: Henk H. Dijkstra, 2004. Classification of Pectinoidea.  SCALLOPS (Propeamussiidae & Pectinidae)  [Web Publication]
FAMILY: PROPEAMUSSIIDAE
Subfamily: PROPEAMUSSIINAE back to menutop of page
Genus Propeamussium de Gregorio, 1884   >
Propeamussium de Gregorio, 1884; Vaught, 1989: 117; Pacaud & Le Renard, 1995: 177 [Propeamussiidae]; Le Renard, 1996: 153. Propeamusium Dall, 1886 (nom.van.); Paramusium Verrill, 1897; Paramussium de Gregorio, 1898 (n.null.); Propeannessium Cossmann & Pisarro, 1906 (nom.null.); Flavamussium Oyama, 1951; Luteamussium Oyama, 1951.
Ref.: Millard, V. 1997. Classification of the Mollusca.
Propeamussium caducum Propeamussium caducum (E.A.Smith, 1885) - Taiwan, 17mm. Ref.:   Propeamussium jeffreysii Propeamussium jeffreysii (E.A. Smith, 1885) - Tosa, Japan, 19mm - this specimen was taken in 120 fathoms of water. Ref.:  
FAMILY: PECTINIDAE
Subfamily: CAMPTONECTINAE back to menutop of page
     
Subfamily: CHLAMYDINAE back to menutop of page
Tribe ADAMUSSIINI
Genus ADAMUSSIUM Thiele, 1934 ?   >
Genus Adamussium Thiele, 1934 ?
Ref.: Millard, V. 1997. Classification of the Mollusca. p.371.
Adamussium colbecki Adamussium colbecki Smith - Antarctic, 86mm - found throughout the Antarctic intertidally down to as deep as 1500 meters. The Underwater Field Guide to Ross Island & McMurdo Sound, Antarctica has additional information about, and pictures of A. colbecki.  
Subfamily: PECTININAE back to menutop of page
Aequipecten glyptus Aequipecten glyptus (Verrill, 1882) - Florida, 54mm. Argopecten nucleus Argopecten nucleus (Born, 1778) - Colombia, 33mm. Chlamys corruscans hawaiiensis Chlamys corruscans hawaiiensis Dall, Bartsch & Rehder, 1938 - Hawaii, 9-10mm.
Chlamys dichroa Chlamys dichroa (Suter, 1909) - New Zealand 39.1mm - A rather rare species. The illustrated shell was taken ex-pisces from the stomach of a Blue Cod around Stewart Island in the 1960's. From the collection of Travis Payne. Chlamys felipponei Chlamys felipponei (Dall, 1922) - Argentina, 71mm. The valves are covered with a fine micro-surface sculpture. Chlamys islandica Chlamys i. islandica (Müller, 1776) - Scotland, 71-80mm.
Chlamys islandica behringiana Chlamys islandica behringiana (Middendorff, 1849) - Alaska, 62-74mm. Chlamys mildredae Chlamys mildredae (F.M. Bayer, 1943) - Florida, 33.5mm. Karnekampia bruei Karnekampia bruei (Payraudeau, 1826) - Italy, 15mm.
Anguipecten superbus Anguipecten superbus (Sowerby II, 1842) - Philippines, 71.5mm. Decatopecten noduliferum Decatopecten noduliferum (Sowerby, 1842) - Hawaii, 24.5mm. Decatopecten noduliferum Decatopecten noduliferum (Sowerby, 1842) - Hawaii, 25-27mm.
Flexopecten flexuosa Flexopecten flexuosa (Poli, 1795) - Spain, 28-36mm. Flexopecten flexuosa Flexopecten flexuosa (Poli, 1795) - Spain, 34mm, an odd color form. Flexopecten glaber Flexopecten glaber (Linné, 1758) - Turkey, 70-75mm.
Gloripallium sanguinolenta Gloripallium sanguinolenta (Gmelin, 1791) - Egypt, 43.2mm; possibly in genus Excellichlamys. Hinnites distortus Hinnites distortus (daCosta, 1778) - France, 33-38mm. Hinnites giganteus Hinnites giganteus (Gray, 1825) - Mexico, 104-108mm.
Juxtamusium maldivensis Juxtamusium maldivensis (E.A.Smith, 1903) - Philippines, 23-25mm. Juxtamusium maldivensis Juxtamusium maldivensis (E.A.Smith, 1903) - Philippines, 25mm. Lyropecten antillarum Lyropecten antillarum (Recluz, 1853) - British Virgin Islands, 19-22mm.
PECTININAE con't. back to menutop of page
Lyropecten corallinoides Lyropecten corallinoides (Orbigny, 1884) - Canary Islands, 32mm. Lyropecten nodosus Lyropecten nodosus (Linné, 1758) - Colombia, 54mm. Lyropecten nodosus Lyropecten nodosus (Linné, 1758) - Colombia, 82mm.
Lyropecten nodosus Lyropecten nodosus (Linné, 1758) - Colombia, 86mm. Lyropecten subnodosus Lyropecten subnodosus (Sowerby, 1835) - Mexico, 141mm. Manupecten pesfelis Manupecten pesfelis (Linné, 1758) - Italy, 57mm.
Mirapecten moluccensis Mirapecten moluccensis Dijkstra, 1988 - Philippines, 26-29mm. Mirapecten rastellum Mirapecten rastellum (Lamarck, 1819) - Philippines, 34-36mm. Nodipecten arthriticus Nodipecten arthriticus (Reeve, 1853) - Pacific Panama, 45-50mm.
Nodipecten nodosus fragosus Nodipecten nodosus fragosus (Conrad, 1849) - Florida, 114mm - considered by some Pecten specialists to be different than the southern Caribbean N. nodosus. Pacipecten linki Pacipecten linki (Dall, 1926) - Honduras, 27-29mm. Palliolum incomparabile Palliolum incomparabile (Risso, 1826) - Spain, 6-9mm; type species of genus.
Palliolum tigerinum Palliolum tigerinum (Müller, 1776) - France, 25-28mm Pecten diegensis Pecten diegensis Dall, 1898 - California, 70-75mm. Pecten exoticus Pecten exoticus Dillwyn, 1817 - Congo, 32-35mm.
Pecten jacobeus Pecten jacobeus (Linné, 1758) - Italy, 62mm - a freak specimen, which survived from damaged during growth. Pecten maximus Pecten maximus (Linné, 1758) - France, 97-105mm. Pecten tricarinatus Pecten tricarinatus Anton, 1839 - Taiwan, 30-33mm.
Volachlamys fultoni Volachlamys fultoni Sowerby III, 1904 - Mozambique, 31-35mm.    
Subfamily: PATINOPECTININAE back to menutop of page