So many bright little eyes... always watching... watching and waiting...
Spiny Scallop (Chlamys hastata)
These scallops live in both muddy/sandy and rocky bottoms on the west coast of North America between shore and about 150ft. Also, where they live determines the appearance of their shells with the ones living in the soft environment being more drab than the ones living in the hard rocky environment. Because of this difference, for a time, they were thought to be different species. These scallops are also commonly encrusted with symbiotic sponge hats... sweaters... cozies! This partnership helps deter predators—or confuse them long enough for the scallop to swim away—and the sponge gets a nice mobile home that is able to find good filter feeding spots. While their eyes aren't very sophisticated, they can detect light/dark to help detect potential risks, and may be able to detect food particles passing by so they know when/where there's a good time/spot to filter feed.
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