[4] Like almost all scallops, the shell is fan-shaped and composed of two valves, each of which is convex and has broad ribs.

Again, like all scallops, beside the hinge are two irregular shelly flaps or auricles; the anterior one is normally much larger than the posterior one.

The background color of the exterior of the shell in this species varies from yellow to light purple.

Like almost all bivalve species, this one is a filter feeder, sieving microscopic algae from water that passes through its gills.

[2][4] It lives in crevices in reef and sand areas down to a depth of 30 metres (98 ft).