ShellSanibel
Read the beach.
Banded tulip
Cinctura hunteria formerly Fasciolaria hunteria
fairly common · 2–4 in (5–10 cm)
How to tell it
Smooth and spindle-shaped, cream to grey with widely spaced fine dark spiral lines, like ruled pencil.
What it gets confused with
True tulip, which is larger, more mottled, and whose spiral lines are closer together and less tidy.
Where it turns up
Gulf beaches; more often whole than most shells this size.
Alive or empty
Predatory and often found alive in shallow water. Sealed aperture means occupied.
Taking live shells is prohibited in Lee County
That includes anything with the animal still in it, and sand dollars, sea stars and urchins whether or not they look alive. If it moves, if it closes, if it is anchored to the sand — put it back where you found it, the right way up.
A shell with an animal in it is not a souvenir that has been left out. It is the animal’s house, and the beach is not producing spares.