25 Scallops and Clams

Scallops and clams are both mollusks—shelled sea creatures with soft bodies. Yet they have more differences than similarities. Scallops and clams both feed by pulling water through their shells and straining out tiny plants and animals as their food. Both shellfish are popular prey for many other sea creatures. But when it comes to searching for safety, they have very different ways.

The scallop lies on the floor of the ocean in shallow to fairly deep water. Its curved shell raises it above the sand or gravel on the bottom. It looks almost helpless lying there. But don’t let it fool you. There is a ring of tiny eyes peering out from the scallop’s shell. At the first sign of an enemy, the scallop takes off, swimming by jetting spurts of water out behind it. It’s a very fast swimmer.

Any clam that dared to lie in full view on the ocean floor would quickly be eaten. Clams make a tasty meal for starfish, crabs, or carnivorous snails. They move very slowly and cannot swim at all. They find safety by burrowing deep into the mud or sand. Their long necks stretch like periscopes, up to the top of the sand. Just the tip of the neck pokes out to get food for the clam. If anything comes near, the neck can quickly be pulled back within the shell. The clam stays safe below the surface, two or three feet down.

扇贝和蛤蜊都是软体动物——有壳的海洋生物，身体柔软。但它们的不同之处多于相似之处。扇贝和蛤蜊都通过将水吸入壳内，过滤出微小的植物和动物作为食物。这两种贝类都是许多其他海洋生物喜爱的猎物。但在寻求安全方面，它们的方式大不相同。

扇贝栖息在海洋底部，从浅水区到相当深的水域都有。它的弯曲贝壳使其高于海底的沙子或砾石。它看起来几乎是无助地躺在那里。但别被它骗了。扇贝的壳上有一圈小眼睛向外窥视。一有敌人的迹象，扇贝就会出发，通过从后方喷射水流来游泳，它游得非常快。

任何胆敢在海底完全暴露的蛤蜊都会很快被吃掉。蛤蜊是海星、螃蟹或食肉蜗牛的美味佳肴。它们移动非常缓慢，根本不会游泳。它们通过深深钻入泥或沙中来寻找安全。它们的长脖子像潜望镜一样伸展，一直到沙的顶部。只有脖子的尖端伸出壳外获取食物。如果有任何东西靠近，脖子可以迅速缩回壳内。蛤蜊安全地待在水面以下两到三英尺的地方。