TYPES OF SHELLS (Main Page)
These are the types of shells from my collection that we have found in Florida mainly on the East Coast on South Hutchinson Island in Jensen Beach, Florida. This includes some rocks and plant vegetation. This black and white map (below) shows teh Fort Pierce inlet to the St Lucie inlet the area of S. Hutchinson Island -- the area of the collection:
This map (below) shows an area which is south of S. Hutchinson Island which is down to the Jupiter inlet:
The area of S. Hutchinson Island is between The Fort Pierce inlet and the St. Lucie inlet and includes the beaches from Fort Piece Inlet all the way south to Bathtub beach, a distance of about 30 miles. I collect shells on several beaches including my beach which is loccated about a mile north of the Jensen Beach Causeway.
The various types of shells are attached to this page by shell families under the common names. The types of shells are randomly presented rather than in alphabetical order.
My shell journey started in the fall of 2020 and by January 2021 I had amassed an estimated 10,000 shells. Now I'm beginning to sort them out with the help of Dr. Harry G. Lee of Jacksonville Florida, a leading shell researcher annd collector who I correspond by email daily.
Ark Shells: Family Arcidae
Incongruous Ark
Turkey Wing (Zebra Ark)
Mossy Ark
Ponderous Ark
Transverse Ark
Red-Brown Ark
Cancellate Ark
Doc Bale's Ark
Cut-ribbed Ark
Blood Ark
White-beard Ark
Bittersweet Clam: Family Glycymerididae
Giant Atlantic Bittersweet Clam
Spectral Bittersweet Clam
Comb Bittersweet
Semeles: Family Semelidae
Purplish Semele
Orange Semeles
White Atlantic Semele
Tan Semeles
Cancellate Semeles
Mussels: Family Mytilidae
Ribbed Mussel (Geukensia demissa)
American Horse Mussel
Cockle Shells: Family Cardiidae
Atlantic Giant Cockle
Yellow Prickly Cockle
Spiny Paper Cockle
Florida Prickly Cockle
Common Egg Cockle
Tritons: Family Cymatiidae
Hairy Triton
Reticulate Cowrie Helmet: Family Cassidae
Lucines: Family Lucinidae
Thick Lucine
Buttercup Lucine
Tiger Lucine
Venus and Quahog Shells: Family Veneridae
Imperial Venus Shell
Lady-In-Waiting Venus Shells (Ridged Clam)
Southern Quahog
Cross-Barred Venus
Lightning Pitar
False Angel Wings
Disk Dosinia
Elegant Dosinia
Calico Clam
Pointed Venus
Strigilla, Tellins: Family Tellindae
Rosy Strigilla
Giant Coquina
Lucky Tellin
Constricted Macoma
Elongated Macoma
Rose Petal Tellin
Atlantic Pearl Oyster: Family Pteriidae