Orientation in July 2002 "non-column"

[Anonymous]

"Although there are many differences between the true scallops and the file clams, one of the simplest distinctions between them is that while true scallops swim forwards (towards the gape of the shell), file clams swim backwards. "

As far as I am aware, the gape of the shell is actually ventral with the umbo/hinge being dorsal, and then the direction the umbo points is anterior...

Was this ignored in the article due to the animals swimming on their sides?

 

[Biogeek]

Yes, you are right - they lay on their sides. I did have 'forward' and 'backward' in quotes originally, but it was apparently lost in one of the revisions and should have been left in. In any case, I didn't think it was critical to the meaning of the article to get into molluscan anatomy - if you survey the average person in a petshop the vast majority of people consider the gape the 'front' of the animal, and that gets across the point I was trying to make...

Rob