Atlantic Calico Scallop
Argopecten gibbus
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
Photo: Even Dankowicz via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · cropped & resized · source
A fan-shaped scallop mottled in rose, maroon and cream, the most colourful common bivalve on many Florida beaches.
- Typical size
- 1–2.5 in
- How often it turns up
- Very common
- Collecting
- Usually legal to collect
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Empty valves are fine to collect. Live bay scallop harvest is separately regulated by season and zone.
How to tell it apart
- Even radiating ribs and small hinge ears
- Mottled calico colours, no two alike
- Strongly convex lower valve
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for shells. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Anclote Key Preserve State Park · Tarpon Springs
- Bean Point · Anna Maria
- Beer Can Island (Greer Island) · Longboat Key
- Boca Grande Public Beach · Boca Grande
- Bowman's Beach · Sanibel
- Captiva Beach · Captiva
- Cayo Costa State Park · Cayo Costa
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park · Naples
- Don Pedro Island State Park · Cape Haze
- Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park · St. George Island
- Gasparilla Island State Park · Boca Grande
- Gulfside City Park (Algiers Beach) · Sanibel
Found one?
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Commonly confused with
Rough ScallopLindapecten muscosus
Rough scallop ribs are covered in tiny scales and it is usually smaller and brighter; calico ribs are smooth.
More shells in the field guide
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