A problem of giant seed: A preliminary study of the bay scallop Argopecten irradians in Pleasant Bay, Cape Cod

In the winter of 1979, the population of bay scallops A. irradians in Pleasant Bay, Massachusetts, was dominated by large individuals without a well-defined raised annulus or growth line. According to the legal definition, these animals were considered large seed scallops and, thus, were protected from being harvested. Atypically, relatively few scallops were present which possessed a well desinged annulus of any kind. Those that did have an annulus could be classified into one of two groups: those with an annulus close to the hinge line and those with an annulus approximately 1-1/5-inch to 1-3/5-inch from the hinge line. Scallops from all three groups were approximately the same size. Large seed scallops generally had a glossy black covering over the gonads. The other two groups showed variable coloration. Histological analysis of gonadal material from January 1980 samples indicated that gametogenesis had begun in all three groups of scallops.