Iridescent scallop (Pedum spondyloideum)

Iridescent scallop

Pedum spondyloideum

Valid name (WoRMS, AphiaID 208478, checked 2026-10-31).

English

Iridescent scallop

Scientific

Pedum spondyloideum

Dhivehi

No recorded Dhivehi name

Group

Clams and other bivalves

Family

Pectinidae (scallops)

Depth and habitat

Sea floor (benthic), recorded from 0 to 26 m

IUCN status

NE · Not EvaluatedNot Evaluated (NE)

Description

A small scallop that lives embedded in massive corals, especially Porites. Only its gaping shell edge is visible, showing a brightly coloured, often iridescent blue, purple or brown mantle with tiny eyes. It snaps shut when a diver comes close.

In the Maldives

Recorded from the Maldives: museum specimens (n=2); iNaturalist research-grade observations in the Maldives (n=44, 29 observers).

Sources

sealifebase.se /summary/Pedum-spondyloideum.html
marinespecies.org /aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=208478
inaturalist.org /taxa/202181
commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Pedum_spondyloideum.jpg

Dhivehi name source: No species-level Dhivehi name found in Dhivehi Wikipedia, SeaLifeBase (country: Maldives) or MRS/MMRI invertebrate publications.