Patagonian Scallop

Zygochlamys patagonica

The Patagonian scallop (Zygochlamys patagonica) is a commercially important bivalve mollusk reaching up to 8 cm in shell height. It has a rounded, fan-shaped shell with fine ribs and a coloration ranging from pink to reddish-brown. Found in the southwestern Atlantic from about 36 to 55 degrees south latitude around southern South America and into the southeastern Pacific, it inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms at depths of 50 to 200 meters. This species forms dense beds on the continental shelf of Argentina, where it is the target of a major fishery. Like other scallops, it can swim by jet propulsion, clapping its valves together to escape predators such as sea stars. It is a filter feeder, drawing in water to capture phytoplankton and organic particles. Divers in Patagonian waters may encounter large aggregations of these scallops on sandy substrates during deep dives.