A broad look at the various types of seashells found along the Florida coastline and elsewhere. Most people visit the seashore on vacation and pick up souvenir seashells without having any idea what they are called or how rare they may be. On this page you'll be able to see pictures of the shells I have and maybe you will learn a bit about the ones you have in your collection. In fact, you may even have a rare shell and don't even know it! Respect for sea life is important and I hope that by learning about the mollusks who make these unique homes for themselves, that we end up enjoying, you will agree that they deserve much respect.

Is It Possible To Find Large Seashells on The Beach?

Everyone who strolls the beaches would love to find that one beautiful, large shell.  Just imagine catching a glimpse of the protruding spire, with the rest buried in the soft sand, as the surf rushes out.  You run to the spot before it's covered with the incoming waves and quickly dig it up.  Wow, what a specimen!I suppose it does happen, but in all my years of visiting east coast Florida beaches, I have never had this experience. (Florida's WEST COAST / GULF is known for it's many shells.)The beautiful queen, or pink, conch (pictured with a pink murex) is a threatened species. Conch meat is served in restaurants in the Florida Keys and tropics. And although this shell has been protected since 1985, it is making a slow comeback.If you are lucky enough to find a big seashell, it may be under water, and inhabited.  Even if the mollusk has died and left the shell empty, often hermit crabs and other living organisms take up residence.  Take a photo and leave the shell where you found it.  It is almost always illegal to collect living creatures from the shore, including occupied seashells. These are the two types of seashell. One is a single coiled piece, and the other is two connected parts.

All the shells you see dotting the beach were made by the creature that lives (or lived) inside.  The mollusk is a marine snail and it's life becomes a work of art in the form of it's shell.Mollusks can create a shell that is either all in one piece, or in two sections that are hinged together.  The snails that create one, coiled shell is called gastropods, or sometimes "univalves", while the bivalves are the ones with two separate shell parts, like clam shells. Generally, the difference in the Seashell Wreath for sale depends upon the lifestyle of each.  Gastropods crawl along the ocean bottom or among coral using a strong "foot" in search of food, while the bivalves attach themselves to something and are stationary, grabbing food as it flows past.  My picture here of the King's Crown conch is an example of a gastropod, while clams, oysters and scallops, like the Kitten paw shell is a bivalve. Cowry Shells This shiny shell looks as if it's made of porcelain. These are the cowry, or sometimes spelled cowries, shells. I purchased them and didn't find them on the beach. Both are quite large, with the Atlantic Deer cowry (on the left in the photo) is about four inches long. This type of shell is coveted by collectors for it's shiny porcelain appearance.  I remember when I bought it that I wondered if it was a real shell because it seemed like it was made of glass. Some of the cowry shells were used as currency all over the world, many years ago. They are called money cowry - appropriately enough.  In fact, I have read that in some places the shell is still used as such. Smaller versions of this shell are often used to make jewelry, and often time’s people will own a cowry necklace.