Does anyone know what this sort of scallop is called?

[StevenC]

I saw these a few days ago in a seafood market in Manila. The seller referred to them as "Japanese scallops" (or possibly Javanese scallops--the market was loud), but I haven't been able to find anything under either name.

Does anyone know what they are?

[Kerala]

Huuuge! How do they taste?

[chefmd]

I think they are called pen shell. From mollusk family.

[liuzhou]

In this part of Southern China, they are known as 袋子螺 (dài zi luó) which I translate as 'bag shell'. 袋子 dài zi means 'bag' and 螺 luó is a general term for many shellfish).

I have never been able to find an 'official' English name, or a Latin name, although I reckon there must be at least the Latin.

They are street food material where they are grilled over charcoal with lashings of garlic and chilli.

Here are some from a famous street market in Nanning, Guangxi in May 2011.

[harryharry]

That's very interesting- those were all over the beach on the West Coast of Florida and they are called pen shells - I was told that they are no good to eat -have never seen them on a menu -

Edit - didn't notice that this was on an Asian message board.....

Edited February 27, 2014 by harryharry (log)

[lesliec]

They look rather like what in this part of the world are called horse mussels. There are a few different species - New Zealand seems to have its own, as has South Africa. The shell markings on yours look a bit different to the images I've been able to find, StevenC, but the size and shape of the shell looks very close.

[scubadoo97]

That's very interesting- those were all over the beach on the West Coast of Florida and they are called pen shells - I was told that they are no good to eat -have never seen them on a menu - 

 

Edit - didn't notice that this was on an Asian message board..... 

They still are. After a big storm they litter the beach. I also were told they were not good eating. May have to bring a few home. That's a nice chunk of white meat in there

[Blether]

Is it this? http://www.saveourwaterwaysnow.com.au/01_cms/details_pop.asp?ID=1445 - I'd normally think of "razor clams" as something else, myself (see Wikipedia / Razor clams).

And in Italian, http://www.naturamediterraneo.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=52775

Pinnidae https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnidae

And it looks like in Japanese they're 'tairagi', which I've never heard of https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A9%E3%82%AE - it says they're big in cantonese cooking, as well as in Chaozhou.

Edited February 28, 2014 by Blether (log)

[Blether]

I have heard of tairagai, though. Doh !

Tairagi

Tairagai

[StevenC]

Thank you for all your responses.  Liuzhou, that dish you posted looks delicious!

[loki]

Euell Gibbons in his book "Stalking The Blue-Eyed Scallop" says the pen shells are one of the best shellfish to be had.  He only mentions the east coast ones (not sure if there are west coast ones - but obviously there are Pacific ones, and Mexican Pacific ones are mentioned in the Wiki). He says the three species on the East Coast of the US are edible and easy to get, with a mask and snorkel. They are not commonly gathered so you could be the only one trying. People sometimes only eat the muscle (like scallops) but all parts of them are edible less the shell (like scallops too).  The byssus is used as fiber and it is one of the most prized in the world, and they sometimes have pearls - sometimes black ones (but are not THE black pearl of the South Seas).