CaliforniaDivingNews
Contributor
by Bonnie J. Cardone
An ex-boyfriend once complained: "I've never met a woman who asked so many questions!" At the time, of course, he was trying to avoid answering one.
What can I say? The mysteries of life intrigue me. One of them involves the giant rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantea). Everything I've read says they have orange mantles but that's not always the case. Some have black mantles; others have dark green, cream or beige. I know this because I have at least 80 photographs of scallops taken in Southern California waters (from oil rigs, seamounts and the Channel Islands) over the past 30 years. The significance of the colors -- if there is any -- is unknown. I queried Kristine Barsky, Senior Invertebrate Specialist, California Department of Fish and Game, who told me, "Although mantle color has been investigated, no one has come up with an explanation for the variations in color." ... Read More
An ex-boyfriend once complained: "I've never met a woman who asked so many questions!" At the time, of course, he was trying to avoid answering one.
What can I say? The mysteries of life intrigue me. One of them involves the giant rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantea). Everything I've read says they have orange mantles but that's not always the case. Some have black mantles; others have dark green, cream or beige. I know this because I have at least 80 photographs of scallops taken in Southern California waters (from oil rigs, seamounts and the Channel Islands) over the past 30 years. The significance of the colors -- if there is any -- is unknown. I queried Kristine Barsky, Senior Invertebrate Specialist, California Department of Fish and Game, who told me, "Although mantle color has been investigated, no one has come up with an explanation for the variations in color." ... Read More
