King scallop (Pecten maximus)
A filter-feeding bivalve mussel growing up to 15cm wide that sits in shallow depressions on sandy habitats.
Habitat: Found on fine sand and gravel habitats from sublittoral to 100m depth.
Diet: Plankton and organic detritus.
Life cycle: Adults are hermaphroditic and begin to spawn into the water column from around 3 years old. The larvae stay in the water column until they have metamorphised into miniature scallops (known as spat until they are 1 year old) which attach for a short period to material such as kelp and bushy seaweeds, they then detach and move to sand and gravel seabed.
NIFCA district & management: NIFCA has a byelaw in place to prohibit all dredging by fishing vessels in the NIFCA district.