The Jewelbox Seashells Are Leafy, Spiny and Corrugated

Florida's Spiny Jewelbox

This is a picture of my spiny jewelbox seashells. I don’t have many and they are simply call Spiny Jewelbox (Arcinella cornuta). They are white with spikes or ridges (if the spikes have worn down) and the inside is pinkish. These are found on both Florida coasts, but mainly along the Gulf Coast area. Many may not have spines as they are broken and worn by the sea.

There are other types of Jewelbox shells which I may have collected at some point when I had no idea what I was picking up. In fact some do not have spines or spikes, but are still rather bumpy looking. The Leafy Jewelbox (Chama macerophylla) has many flattened, thin ridges (unless they are worn – then they are bumpy) and can be colorful purple and orange or yellow. See a good picture here.

The Atlantic Left-Handed Jewelbox (Pseudochama radians) is also known as the False Jewelbox and I really don’t know much about that one except that it is found from North Carolina to Brazil. There is also a Corrugate Jewelbox (or Little Corrugated Jewelbox) which is small, growing only to around one inch in size. All the others can be up to 3 inches or so.

The book I use to reference, also mentions the Cherry Jewelbox which is also small – no more than 1.25 inches – and is light pink in color and is found down in the Florida Keys and the West Indies.

If you live on the west coast of the U. S., you may find the Clear Jewel Box (Charma arcana) along your coastline. It looks a lot like the Leafy Jewel Box except that it is not as colorful but may be tinged with pink or orange.

What are the spines and “leafy parts” for? It helps protect them from gastropod (other shell dwelling) predators who may want to drill into the shell and eat what is inside. Yup, that’s what they do!

Did you ever find a Jewelbox seashell?