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Virginia Seashells

This guide includes shells found on the Virginia coast. It focuses on marine shells and some things in adjacent habitats (brackish inlets, ect). I will continue to add to this guide in the future!

Hawk Turbonille

Turbonilla buteonis

Bartsch, 1909

Two-tooth Barrel-Bubble

Cylichnella bidentata

(d'Orbigny, 1841)

Solitary Glassy-Bubble

Haminella solitaria

(Say, 1822)

Two-toothed Marsh Snail

Melampus bidentatus

Say, 1822

Tanner's Keyhole Limpet

Diodora tanneri

(A. E. Verrill, 1882)

Cayenne Keyhole Limpet

Diodora cayenensis

(Lamarck, 1822)

Beautiful Caecum

Caecum pulchellum

W. Stimpson, 1851

Eastern White Slipper Snail

Crepidula plana

Say, 1822

Common Atlantic Slipper Snail

Crepidula fornicata

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Convex Slipper Snail

Crepidula convexa

Say, 1822

Cup-and-saucer Limpet

Crucibulum striatum

(Say, 1826)

Marsh Periwinkle

Littoraria irrorata

(Say, 1822)

Spotted Moonsnail

Euspira triseriata

(Say, 1826)

Shark Eye

Neverita duplicata

(Say, 1822)

Immaculate Moonsnail

Polinices immaculatus

(Totten, 1835)

White Baby Ear

Sinum perspectivum

(Say, 1831)

Miniature Moonsnail

Tectonatica pusilla

(Say, 1822)

One-toothed Simnia

Simnialena uniplicata

(G. B. Sowerby II, 1849)

Straw Tun

Eudolium crosseanum

(Monterosato, 1869)

Florida Vitrinella

Vitrinella floridana

Pilsbry & T. L. McGinty, 1946

Knobbed Whelk

Busycon carica

(Gmelin, 1791)

Channeled Whelk

Busycotypus canaliculatus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Stimpson's Whelk

Colus stimpsoni

(Morch, 1868)

Sinistrofulgur laeostomum

Sinistrofulgur laeostomum

(Kent, 1982)

Lunar Dovesnail

Astyris lunata

(Say, 1826)

Greedy Dove Snail

Costoanachis avara

(Say, 1822)

Well-ribbed Dove Shell

Costoanachis translirata

(Ravenel, 1861)

Fat Dove Snail

Parvanachis obesa

(C. B. Adams, 1845)

Brown-tip Mangelia

Kurtziella atrostyla

(Tryon, 1884)

Plicate Mangelia

Pyrgocythara plicosa

(C. B. Adams, 1850)

Gold-line Marginella

Dentimargo aureocincta

(Stearns, 1872)

Seaboard Marginella

Prunum roscidum

(Redfield, 1860)

Thick-lipped Drill

Eupleura caudata

(Say, 1822)

Florida Rock Shell

Stramonita floridana

(Conrad, 1837)

Red-mouthed Dog Winkle

Stramonita haemastoma

(Linnaeus, 1767)

Eastern Oyster Drill

Urosalpinx cinerea

(Say, 1822)

Threeline Mudsnail

Iiyanassa trivittata

(Say, 1822)

Sharp Nassa

Nassarius acutus

(Say, 1822)

Bruised Nassa

Phrontis vibex

(Say, 1822)

Eastern Mudsnail

Tritia obsoleta

(Say, 1822)

Yellowish Olive Snail

Olivella mutica

(Say, 1822)

Eastern Auger

Neoterebra dislocata

(Say, 1822)

Three-toothed Cavoline

Cavolinia tridentata

(Forsskal [in Niebuhr], 1775)

Baird's Top Shell

Calliostoma bairdii

A. E. Verrill & S. Smith, 1880

Grass Cerith

Bittiolum varium

(L. Pfeiffer, 1840)

New England Wentletrap

Epitonium novangliae

(Couthouy, 1838)

Angulate Wentletrap

Epitonium angulatum

(Say, 1831)

Epitonium celesti

Epitonium celesti

(Aradas, 1854)

Epitonium dallianum

Epitonium dallianum

(A. E. Verrill & S. Smith, 1880)

Multiribbed Wentletrap

Epitonium multistriatum

(Say, 1826)

Champion's Wentletrap

Epitonium championi

Clench & R. D. Turner, 1952

Humphrey's Wentletrap

Epitonium humphreysii

(Kiener, 1838)

Brown-banded Wentletrap

Gyroscala rupicola

(Kurtz, 1860)

Sargassum Snail

Litiopa melanostoma

Rang, 1829

Awl Miniature Cerith

Retilaskeya emersonii

(C. B. Adams, 1839)

Reticulated Turretsnail

Tachyrhynchus reticulatus

(Mighels & C. B. Adams, 1842)

Glassy Lyonsia

Lyonsia hyalina

(Conrad, 1831)

Lea's Spoon Clam

Cochlodesma leanum

(Conrad, 1831)

Wrinkled Rock Borer

Hiatella arctica

(Linnaeus, 1767)

Atlantic Jackknife

Ensis leei

M. Huber, 2015

Atlantic Razor

Siliqua costata

(Say, 1822)

Green Jacknife Clam

Solen viridis

Say, 1821

Transverse Ark

Anadara transversa

(Say, 1822)

Blood Ark

Lunarca ovalis

(Bruguiere, 1789)

Ponderous Ark

Noetia ponderosa

(Say, 1822)

Atlantic Giant Cockle

Dinocardium robustum

([Lightfoot], 1786)

Morton's Cockle

Laevicardium mortoni

(Conrad, 1831)

Painted Egg Cockle

Laevicardium pictum

(Ravenel, 1861)

Coquina

Donax variabilis

Say, 1822

Fossor Coquina

Donax fossor

Say, 1822

Common Atlantic Abra

Abra aequalis

(Say, 1822)

Tellin Semele

Cumingia tellinoides

(Conrad, 1831)

Stout Tagelus

Tagelus plebeius

(Lightfoot, 1786)

Purplish Tagelus

Tagelus divisus

(Spengler, 1794)

Many-colored Tellin

Ameritella versicolor

(De Kay, 1843)

Sining Macoma

Macoploma tenta

(Say, 1838)

Northern Cardita

Cyclocardia borealis

(Conrad, 1832)

Lunate Crassinella

Crassinella lunulata

(Conrad, 1834)

Cross-hatched Lucine

Divalinga quadrisulcata

(d'Orbigny, 1846)

Pennsylvania Lucine

Lucina pensylvanica

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Many-lined Lucine

Parvilucina crenella

(Dall, 1901)

Soft-shelled Clam

Mya arenaria

Linnaeus, 1758

Fallen Angelwing

Barnea truncata

(Say, 1822)

Angelwing

Cyrtopleura costata

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Atlantic Papermussel

Arcuatula papyria

(Conrad, 1846)

Atlantic Ribbed Mussel

Geukensia demissa

(Dillwyn, 1817)

Hooked Mussel

Ischadium recurvum

(Rafinesque, 1820)

Horse Mussel

Modiolus modiolus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Blue Mussel

Mytilus edulis

Linnaeus, 1758

Northern Bay Mussel

Mytilus trossulus

Gould, 1850

Small Nut Shell

Nucula proxima

Say, 1822

Eastern Oyster

Crassostrea virginica

(Gmelin, 1791)

Common Jingle

Anomia simplex

d'Orbigny, 1853

Heteranomia squamula

Heteranomia squamula

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Red-ribbed Scallop

Aequipecten glyptus

(Verrill, 1882)

Atlantic Calico Scallop

Argopecten gibbus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Atlantic Bay Scallop

Argopecten irradians

(Lamarck, 1819)

Spathate Scallop

Cryptopecten phrygium

(Dall, 1886)

Atlantic Deep-sea Scallop

Placopecten magellanicus

(Gmelin, 1791)

Swimming Clam

Solemya velum

Say, 1822

Channeled Duck Clam

Raeta plicatella

(Lamarck, 1818)

Ocean Quahog

Arctica islanica

Schumacher, 1817

Dwarf Surfclam

Mulinia lateralis

(Say, 1822)

Atlantic Rangia

Rangia cuneata

(G. B. Sowerby I, 1832)

Southern Surf Clam

Spisula raveneli

(Conrad, 1832)

West Atlantic Surf Clam

Spisula solidissima

(Dillwyn, 1817)

Lady-in-waiting Venus

Chionopsis intapurpurea

(Conrad, 1849)

Thin Cyclinella

Cyclinella tenuis

(Récluz, 1852)

Disk Dosinia

Dosinia discus

(Reeve, 1850)

Amethyst Gem Clam

Gemma gemma

(Totten, 1834)

North Quahog

Mercenaria mercenaria

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Southern Quahog

Mercenaria campechiensis

(Gmelin, 1791)

False Angelwing

Petricolaria pholadiformis

(Lamarck, 1818)

False Quahog

Agriopoma morrhuanum

(Dall, 1902)

Paper Nautilus

Argonauta argo

Linnaeus, 1758

Ram's Horn Squid

Spirula spirula

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Occidental Tusk Shell

Antalis entalis

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Created by Chandler Olson

Last Updated: 04/18/2024

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