One auricle of the right valve is larger than the other which creates a notch near the hinge used by the modified foot in young scallops to spin byssal threads.

This species is distributed from Norway south to the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean and is common in the North Sea on beds of sand and gravel.

Due to the vagaries of landings over the years, Manx fishermen have worked on technical conservation regulations, in order to ensure that stocks of the queenie have remained robust.

These have included restrictions on fishing times, closed seasons, and limitations on the number of dredges permitted.

[4] Isle of Man queenies have been awarded the European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) stamp.