Warning

This information was published in 1966 in An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. It has not been corrected and will not be updated.

Up-to-date information can be found elsewhere in Te Ara.

SCALLOP, FAN

(Chlamys zelandiae).

This scallop has a small, scaly-ribbed shell of two equally convex valves. It is brilliantly coloured – lemon, yellow, red, orange, lilac, purple, or delicate greys, and is one of the most attractive shells of the New Zealand beaches. Living examples are obtained by turning over boulders at low tide. The shell is fastened to the rock by strong threads which are associated with the foot of the animal.

by Arthur William Baden Powell, Assistant Director, Auckland Institute and Museum.

Co-creator

Arthur William Baden Powell, Assistant Director, Auckland Institute and Museum.