Flame Scallop

ID points

• A fringe of bright red tentacles around the shell edge
• A white light flickers like lightning along the mantle edge
• Hides in reef crevices with only the shell edge showing

Basics

Family

Limidae

Length

5–8 cm

Depth

1-30 m

Regions

Caribbean & W. Atlantic

Distribution

Coral reefs of the Caribbean

Habitat

Crevices in Caribbean reefs

Diet

Plankton

Easily confused with

Christmas Tree WormTwo spiral cones of feathery gills, like a pair of tiny Christmas treesBarrel SpongeA huge barrel-shaped body with a deep central openingCrown-of-Thorns StarfishA dozen to twenty arms, covered all over with long venomous spines

Fun fact

Cilia along the edge of the mantle inside the shell flicker back and forth, throwing off a bright red shimmering reflection. When threatened it claps the shells together and jets water out, effectively swimming away.