Argopecten irradians (Florida)

Bay scallop, Atlantic bay scallop, blue-eyed scallop

This delicious bivalve is native to the Northwest Atlantic from southern Massachusetts Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. In Florida, the best scalloping is along the Gulf coast and some friends invited us to Homosassa Spring for my first experience foraging for a protein.

Visible from the boat are the residents of Monkey Island of Homosassa and their air-conditioned lighthouse.

SCALLOPING SEASON

In Florida, the season typically runs from July to September. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission determines the dates each year based on a variety of factors, including water quality and species health and population numbers. In general, to scallop recreationally you are required to:

• Have a saltwater fishing license
• Harvest by hand or using a net only
• Select scallops larger than 1 1/2 inches across

However, specific scalloping regulations, including the daily bag limit vary by region, so it’s important to check the local rules and regulations.

HABITAT

Bay scallops are found nestled in seagrass beds in shallow coastal waters between 5 and 10 feet deep.

ANATOMY

As a member of phylum Mollusca in the class Bivalvia, bay scallops have two shells joined by a hinge. Their upper shell is a dark, mottled color and the lower one lighter. Occasionally, the shells are yellow or orange, but this is not common. The average size of mature Florida bay scallops is 3 inches and they typically only live one year.

Bay scallops open their shells when filter feeding and when breathing. They close their shells to protect themselves from predators and to prevent silt from clogging their gills.

Bay scallops have numerous tiny, electric-blue eyes lining the outer rim of the shells that detect movement and predators.

Unlike their stationary cousins, the clam and the oyster, bay scallops can swim by contracting and relaxing its large adductor muscle to open and close its shells. This movement pushes water out and propels the scallop backwards.

LIFE CYCLE

Having both female and male sexual organs, bay scallops are true hermaphrodites, and when spawning release millions of eggs and sperm alternately into the water.

If a sperm and egg connect, fertilization occurs, and 36 hours later a microscopic zygote is formed. This larvae will drift in the water for 10 to 14 days before transitioning into a juvenile scallop. A hard shell of calcium carbonate develops and as it gets heavier, the juvenile scallop slowly sinks to the bottom of the ocean. It will attach itself to some type of marine plant for the next year before eventually detaching and falling to the ocean bed where it lives the rest of its life.

SCALLOPING

Approximately 2 miles from shore we donned our snorkel masks and jumped in the ocean. We floated about 10 feet above a seagrass meadow, our eyes scanning the ocean floor for the telltale fan shape before diving down to grab a scallop.

I was able to spot the scallops, but personally was never able to get one. As a girl raised in the mountains, I am not a strong swimmer and without fins, I really struggled diving to get them. A couple of times I even saw flashes of their blue eyes before the scallop quickly closed its shell and hid camouflaged in the sea grass. However, as a group we were able to harvest enough.

CLEANING SCALLOPS

I also did not get an opportunity to shuck the scallops we caught as my friends had it already done by the time I got out of the shower! But for those of you interested in the process, watch the video below. The picture to the right is our fresh Florida bay scallops.

RECIPES

RECIPE #1: Seared Scallops and Creamed Corn

In a suburb of Milwaukee is a farm-to-table restaurant with the most delicious creamed corn ever. The recipe was featured in the local paper and it was the foundation of my pan-seared scallop dish shown below.

RECIPE #2: Scallop Ceviche

I used the recipe from Caroline’s Cooking as my base but due to availability, substituted yellow for red onion, and banana peppers and dried red chili for the fresh red chili.

References

_{Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (n.d.). Bay scallops. https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/bay-scallops}

_{Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (n.d.). Bay scallops – General information. https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/mollusc/bay-scallops/information}

_{Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory. (n.d.). Bay scallops in Florida seagrass beds. https://marinelab.fsu.edu/archive/virtual-classroom/bay-scallops-in-florida-seagrass-beds/}

_{Michelson, B. (2023, May 15). Species profile: Atlantic bay scallops. The Fisherman. https://www.thefisherman.com/article/species-profile-atlantic-bay-scallops/}