ShellSanibel

Read the beach.

Saturday, August 22 · Sanibel & Captiva

Shell guide

Fifteen species you can genuinely expect to meet on these beaches, ordered by how often you will actually meet them — plus one you almost certainly will not, and which everybody asks about anyway.

Scientific names follow the World Register of Marine Species and are checked against it automatically. Where a name has changed, the one printed in older field guides is given too.

• Photograph to come

  Coquina

  Donax variabilis

  abundant

  0.3–1 in (1–2.5 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Cross-barred venus

  Chione elevata formerly Chione cancellata

  abundant

  0.8–1.5 in (2–4 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Calico scallop

  Argopecten gibbus

  common

  1–2.5 in (3–6 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Common jingle shell

  Anomia simplex

  common

  1–2 in (2.5–5 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Florida cerith

  Cerithium atratum

  common

  0.5–1.5 in (1–4 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Florida fighting conch

  Strombus alatus name disputed

  common

  2–4 in (5–10 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Kitten’s paw

  Plicatula gibbosa

  common

  0.5–1.2 in (1.5–3 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Lettered olive

  Oliva sayana

  common

  1.5–3 in (4–7 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Lightning whelk

  Sinistrofulgur sinistrum formerly Busycon contrarium, Busycon sinistrum

  common

  4–12 in (10–30 cm); occasionally larger

• Photograph to come

  Alphabet cone

  Conus spurius

  fairly common

  2–3 in (5–8 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Apple murex

  Phyllonotus pomum

  fairly common

  2–4 in (5–10 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Banded tulip

  Cinctura hunteria formerly Fasciolaria hunteria

  fairly common

  2–4 in (5–10 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Keyhole sand dollar

  Mellita quinquiesperforata

  fairly common

  2–4 in (5–10 cm)

• Photograph to come

  True tulip

  Fasciolaria tulipa

  occasional

  3–6 in (8–15 cm)

• Photograph to come

  Junonia

  Scaphella junonia

  rare

  3–5 in (8–13 cm)