Variegated scallop (Mimachlamys varia)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from SeaLifeBase, occurrence map from GBIF, description from Wikipedia.
Mimachlamys varia, also known under common names variegated scallop and black scallop, is a species of small scallop, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Pectinidae, the scallops. It occurs in the North Sea, the English Channel, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.
- Scientific name
- Mimachlamys varia
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Family
- Pectinidae
- Order
- Pectinida
- Maximum length
- 10 cm
- Depth range
- 0–200 m
- Habitat zone
- benthic
- Gbif occurrence records
- 15,282
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Mollusca · Class: Bivalvia · Order: Pectinida · Family: Pectinidae · Genus: Mimachlamys.
Accepted name: Mimachlamys varia · Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 236719.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Chlamys (Chlamys) varia (Linnaeus, 1758); Chlamys varia (Linnaeus, 1758); Chlamys varius (Linnaeus, 1758); Ostrea aculeata Gmelin, 1791; Ostrea flammea Gmelin, 1791; Ostrea incarnata Gmelin, 1791; Ostrea media Gmelin, 1791; Ostrea ochroleuca Gmelin, 1791; Ostrea rufescens W. Turton, 1802; Ostrea seminuda Gmelin, 1791; Ostrea subrufa Gmelin, 1791; Ostrea varia Linnaeus, 1758; Pecten arzellus De Gregorio, 1885; Pecten multicostatus Reeve, 1853; Pecten varia (Linnaeus, 1758); Pecten varius (Linnaeus, 1758).
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=236719 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)
Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Mimachlamys varia. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 10 cm · Depth range: 0–200 m · Habitat zone: benthic · Vulnerability index: 28.8 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial.
SeaLifeBase notes: Minimum depth from Ref. 114500. This is a sessile-burrower, suspension feeder (Ref. 96498).
Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 47725) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Mimachlamys-varia.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
15,282 georeferenced occurrence records for Mimachlamys varia are published through GBIF from 39 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 125 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 199 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.
Most records by country or area: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (4,134); France (3,262); Portugal (2,042); Netherlands (1,766); Spain (1,335).
The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 4373480) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=4373480&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=236719 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
The shell of Mimachlamys varia comes in a range of colours and variegated patterns including white, pink, red, orange, yellow, or purple, and anything in between. Both valves are convex, rounded or oval, and symmetrical except for the ears on either side of the umbo. They are solid, inequivalve and inequilateral. They have 25 to 35 ribs radiating from the umbo bearing spatulate spines, which are more apparent near the margin. The valves are sculpted by fine concentric lines which show the annual growth rings. The anterior ear is considerably longer than the posterior ear. The right anterior ear has a notch to accommodate the byssus, which anchors the shell in place, and small teeth on the lower edge. The interior surface of the shell is glossy and is often the same colour as the exterior. The shell does not usually exceed 6 cm in length.
This species of scallop lives in the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. Mimachlamys varia is a shallow-living species, living up to about 100m in depth along coastal rocky areas. It typically lives under boulders or among the holdfasts of seaweeds. This species is found in sheltered habitats in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, and because of its rapid decline there, it is listed as a Northern Ireland Priority Species.
Like other scallops, this species is a filter feeder, drawing water through its gills and removing the edible fragments. It changes sex several times during the course of its development, becoming a male when fully mature. It is attached by byssus threads when young but may be detached when older. It is often overgrown by the holdfasts of the seaweeds among which it lives, and sponges such as Halichondria panicea may also grow over the shell.
Source: Wikipedia: Mimachlamys varia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimachlamys_varia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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