ShellSanibel
Read the beach.
Calico scallop
Argopecten gibbus
common · 1–2.5 in (3–6 cm)
How to tell it
The classic fan with about twenty ribs and mottled calico patterning — rose, maroon, cream. The two valves differ: one is deeply cupped, the other flatter.
What it gets confused with
Bay scallop is duller and more evenly coloured. Zigzag scallop is thinner and more angular.
Where it turns up
Gulf beaches everywhere, in quantity.
Alive or empty
Scallops swim and are usually found as single empty valves. A hinged pair is worth a second look.
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.