Ecomare

Seen on a world scale, the great scallop is the most important shellfish for the fisheries. More than a million tons are fished yearly. The shell is the logo for Shell, but also for the pilgrims that used to travel to the town of Santiago de Compostella in Galicia (northwest Spain). Pilgrims took the scallop with them, in honor of Saint James. This is also another name for the great scallop. The animals are very lively. They can jump and even swim around by quickly opening and closing their valves. They have light-sensitive spots on the edges of the mantle which help them to 'see'.