Once again (for the first time in over a year) using this blog to be a bit of a marine biology nerd! (For my last post similar to this, click this link here! I scrolled down so you don't have to!)
So last year I "inherited" a seashell collection from my maternal grandmother (it wasn't like left in a will or officially bequeathed or anything, but my mum figured I'd be a worthy recipient of them), and I'm only just now getting around to actually making a post about them!
I was a big collector of shells myself when it came to beach trips as a child, but most of the shells I amassed were typically one of about three different types, compared to the over a dozen different families represented here! (NOTE: I feel obliged to say that caution and restraint should be exhibited when it comes to wanting to collect shells on the beach. A shell might still have a creature living in it, or it might become a future home for an organism if left on the beach, or it might break down over time to become part of the sand, which is also important! Bivalve shell halves like pipi and oyster shells are usually fine to collect, but still limit how many you take, and don't take any at all if the beach has a "no collecting" sign on it! And remember that sometimes the biggest and/or prettiest shells are the ones that should be left alone the most! Just take pictures instead!)
With all that being said, click "keep reading" if you wanna know more about what the shells in the picture are!
(Reposting the picture so mobile users don't have to scroll up as far to look back at the pic)
A. 5 conch shells (family Strombidae). Yes, even the brown, spiral-cone shell is a conch/stromb shell just like the others! That one is from the Tibia genus!
B. 1 clam shell (family Cardiidae), of the Hippopus genus. I don't think this one is even typically found on Queensland beaches, unlike the rest of these shells! However, it's actually part of the same family as cockle shells, which are definitely common here (and I collected many during my childhood).
C. 5 cowrie shells (family Cypraeidae). Very recognisable, very iconic. (Fun fact, cowries have historically been used as currency by many cultures across the world!)
D. 1 helmet shell (family Cassidae). You might be more familiar with seeing larger members of this family - go look up "helmet shell" on Google Images!
E. 5 sundial shells (family Architectonicidae). I used a digital guidebook pdf from the Queensland Museum Network to help me identify most of these shells (it's actually an educational resource aimed at year 7 students, but it suited my needs), but these shells weren't listed, so I had to look elsewhere. However, some species in this family are listed on a gastropods of South East Queensland webpage! I like how "flat" these ones are compared to a lot of other spiral shells!
F. 2 turban shells (family Turbinidae). The white glossy-looking one has been pearlized! (Nacre coating)
G. 2 olive shells (family Olividae).
H. 1 scallop shell (family Pectinidae). One of the most iconic shell types of all time! The kind of shell that most kids draw when asked to draw a seashell! (Also, scallops are a rare example of bivalves that can actively swim, opening and closing their shells like a pair of castanets to propel themselves through the water. It's hilarious and amazing).
I. Volute shells (family Volutidae). These ones are easier to identify when you turn them over and see the "columellar folds" inside of them. It's kind of like the inside of the shell spiral has wrinkles! (Also fun fact: the word voluta means "spiral" in Latin!)
J. 1 murex shell (family Muricidae). Fun fact: "Murex" is one of the oldest classical seashell names still used by the scientific community, having originated from Aristotle over 2,000 years ago!
K. 4 cone shells (family Conidae). Listen, if there was EVER a type of shell to avoid on the beach, it's this type! Some cone snails are harmless, but some have venom that can be extremely deadly to humans, and it can be delivered at rapid speed! Learn what different cone shells look like, and then learn to avoid all of them! Don't take your chances!
L. 1 limpet shell (family Patellidae).
M. 1 auger shell (family Terebridae)
N. 1 sand snail shell (family Naticidae)
O. 1 spindle whelk shell (family Fasciolariidae)
P. 1 goblet snail shell, also known as a "true whelk" (family Buccinidae)
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I don’t know how many people will find this interesting but I’m soooo excited about it. ( for context I’m scuba certified) I recently pulled up a shell probably the size of my head (dw nothing was living in it, I triple checked underwater and again above water) it’s so cool!! I love shells this is definitely going to be one of the best in my collection. I’ll reblog with a picture once I have a chance to unpack it 🤭🤭 anyways yeah I love shells
I found pieces of dead coral, clam shells, and a heart shaped rock! Bonus picture of a living conch shell that I found! It was such a cool little guy to find and after showing my family (who was insisting that I keep it but that would mean killing them for their shell and I just couldn’t do that) I swam them as far out as I could so no one else would bother them.
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<p>Golden Cowrie Shell Cypraea Aurantium 85mm F+ Diver Collected. Information tag on when/where/how it was collected comes with the shell, a
I’m selling the most valuable shell in my collection. Not something I’m going to enjoy doing, but the market value on this one is like 3x-4x what I paid for it waaaay back in like...2005? Anyway, it’s gorgeous, and there are options for either bidding or buy it now.
(Before you go asking about the Junonia in my collection, I sold that a couple months ago. I’m just going to have to hope I find one if I ever make it back to Sanibel.)
