Flame shell
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A Flame shell, Limaria hians,is a striking bivalve which resembles a scallop but has a bright orange fringe of filaments emerging from between its shells. Their distribution is primarily in the west coast of Scotland from the sublittoral (below low tide) down to 100m, although there are patchy records of them appearing in more southerly regions of the United Kingdom. There is a well-known colonies on the sea bed in Loch Carron below Strome castle.
They make sticky threads to bind stones and shells into a felt-lined nest. Holes in the reef allow fresh seawater to flow through, preventing stagnation. They can't be seen unless the mat-like nest is disturbed, or torn open by an anchor or a hand.
