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The scallops swim by rapidly ejecting water from the mantle cavity by rapid clapping together (adduction) of the shell valves, which forces water out on either side of the hinge. Scallops usually swim in short bursts, but may cover several metres at a time.Scallops are one of only a few Molluscan groups that have the ability to swim actively, especially as a predator avoidance response. Argopecten gibbus, like most scallops, swims horizontally to the substratum by quickly adducting its valves to propel itself on jets of water. Examinations of shell morphometry in relation to swimming ability in scallops found that the relatively thinner shell and slight left convexity of the left (upper) valve generate more lift during swimming, and thus produce the long range swimming ability and speed of Argopecten gibbus, which may swim as much as 9 body lengths per second Small scallops tend to swim more actively than larger ones.

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17y ago

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