A small, delicate scallop with a beautifully coloured shell in shades of pink, orange and purple, this species is called queen scallop because it is smaller and more delicate than the larger king scallop of the Northern Hemisphere. The shell is thin and fragile, easily broken by waves or predators. But what it lacks in strength, it makes up for in beauty. The colours are produced by pigments in the shell that reflect light in different ways, creating a shimmering effect that changes with the angle of view. Unlike most bivalves, scallops can swim. They clap their shells together, forcing water out in jets that propel them forward. This swimming ability helps them escape from predators like starfish and octopus. When a starfish approaches, the scallop will clap its shells rapidly, shooting across the seafloor to safety. The swimming motion is not graceful. The scallop flaps erratically, like a butterfly with a broken wing. But it is effective. Most predators cannot keep up. The queen scallop lives in deep water, from 30 to 200 metres depth, on sandy and gravelly bottoms. It prefers areas with strong currents that bring plenty of food. It is not a picky eater. It will filter any organic particles that drift past, from microscopic algae to tiny bits of decaying plant matter. The queen scallop is not commercially targeted in New Zealand, but it is caught as bycatch in the scallop fishery. Bottom trawls dragged across the seafloor scoop up everything in their path, including queen scallops. Most of them are discarded, dead or dying, because they are too small to sell. The bycatch of queen scallops is an unfortunate waste of a beautiful animal. The shell is prized by collectors for its delicate colouration and fine ridges. A perfect queen scallop shell, with its pink and orange bands intact, is a treasure. It is a reminder that the deep sea holds beauty that most of us will never see.