The many eyes of a rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantea) are backed with mirrors that reflect light, unlike our eyes that use lenses to bend and focus light. Scallop eyes work similar to the optics systems used in advanced telescopes.
A rock scallop blends into its environment extremely well as surrounding life continues to attach to the shells/valves throughout its lifetime. This long lived scallop can reach 50 years of age. A rock scallop has a round shell, radiating shell ridges with spines, and an orange mantle edged with eyes. This scallop is the second largest in the world, and is also the heaviest scallop due to its very thick valves. An empty rock scallop shell can be identified by having a purple stain close to the hinge. The rock scallop can grow to 9.8 inches (25 cm) across, with a range from southern Alaska to northern Mexico.
References:
Callier, Viviane. “What Scallops’ Many Eyes Can Teach Us About the Evolution of Vision”, Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Institution, 2019, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-scallops-many-eyes-can-teach-us-about-evolution-vision-180972099/
Fretwell, Kelly and Starzomski, Brian. “Rock Scallop, Crassadama gigantea” Biodiversity of the Central Coast, University of Victoria, 2014, https://www.centralcoastbiodiversity.org/rock-scallop-bull-crassodoma-gigantea.html
Jensen, Gregory with Gotshall, Daniel and Flores-Miller, Rebecca. Beneath Pacific Tides: Subtidal Invertebrates of the West Coast. Bremerton: MolaMarine, 2018.
