ShellSanibel
Read the beach.
Cross-barred venus
Chione elevata formerly Chione cancellata
abundant · 0.8–1.5 in (2–4 cm)
How to tell it
A solid little clam with a strong grid — raised radial ribs crossed by sharp concentric ridges, giving a latticed surface you can feel with a thumbnail.
What it gets confused with
Other venus clams are smoother or more finely sculpted; the crisp cross-hatching is the tell.
Where it turns up
Everywhere, in enormous numbers. Often the bulk of a shell drift by count.
Alive or empty
Buried in sand and mud flats; beach shells are usually long dead and often single valves.
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.