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| A plastic panel formed to provide attachment
sites at an optimal spatial distribution receives juveniles prior to cementing.
Each scallop cements within a well covered with 6 mm meshing. When cementation
within the well is complete, the mesh is removed and the scallop continues
to grow at the site until harvest. A stocking density of 4/ft2
was adopted to provide adequate room for scallops to remain separate from
each other and reach a shell diameter of 12 cm with minimal competition
for food or space. Use of the Leighton and Phleger, Reusable Scallop Rearing
Panel is described further at the end of this section.
Juvenile rock scallops may also be glued to substrates. Initial studies by the author (Leighton and Phleger, 1981) used 4 mm asbestos insulating board. New and environmentally friendly materials exist which effectively replace asbestos board in the form of compressed fiber/concrete sheet (Hardiboard and Rhinoboard, to name two brands). Modern adhesives, especially epoxy cements, can be used to secure juvenile scallops by the right or cementing valve. Scallops are tilted to allow the growing margin of the right valve to meet the board surface. Approximately two months should be allowed for natural cementation to progress sufficiently to secure the scallop adequately. The rearing panels developed by the author are vacuum-formed of Styrene, ABS, or other thermoplastic materials. Wells or depressions 2 inches in diameter (5 cm x 1 cm), perforated to provide points of attachment, are covered by meshing. A fine slit cut into the mesh allows introduction of a single juvenile scallop 1-2 cm. Eventual securement is facilitated by a loop of nylon monofilament tied through perforations at the bottom of the well. |
Once young scallops have cemented within the wells, the overlying mesh is removed. Panels are suspended vertically, usually arranged in arrays of 10 or more.
Portion of a rock scallop rearing panel with juvenile scallops admitted to wells through a slit cut in the mesh.
Mature scallops from cages, panels or trays are allowed to gape, and a sturdy wooden peg placed between the valves. A thin round-ended spatula is then inserted to remove the adductor muscle, viscera and mantle. An alternative procedure may be followed in which the hinge connecting the valves is removed using a tool with a Carborundum blade to cut a V in the shell encompassing the ligament.. Adductor muscle is easily separated from mantle and viscera, rinsed in fresh water and readied for market. While there may exist a market for "trimmings", consumption of the hepatic tissue and gonad should be avoided.
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