The Coral scallop (Pedum spondyloideum) is the most beautiful animal I have encountered underwater. The delicate bivalve lives within the hard coral its entire life.

• Scientific name: Pedum spondyloideum
• Distribution:  Ryukyu Islands
• Habitat:  Hard corals in shallow water
• Diet: Filter feeders
• Average Size:  35mm-55mm

What purpose do they serve in the ecosystem? Researchers believe these beautiful bivalves serve a beneficial function among hard corals.

• Provide circulation for feeding coral
• Defend the host by expelling water when threatened by corallivorous marine life

The hard coral provides the bivalve with support and protection. The shell is very thin and fragile. Below is a great example of a protected piece of coral with an army of coral scallops.

The crown of thorns starfish is the most devesting predator of the coral. If the coral (host) dies the bivalve will not survive.

The coral scallop is very thin and fragile. The living animal is much more beautiful than the protective shell it produces. These specimens were given to me by a fellow researcher.

I first started photographing these beauties in 2010, below are some of my favorite images taken throughout the Ryukyu Islands.

 My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link  paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines.  Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature