Photos of the Cross-barred Venus Shell

cross-barred venus clam shell

In my collection, the little white clam shells with brown splotches are named “Cross-barred Venus” (Chione cancellata). They are fairly small – up to 1 3/4 inches (4.4cm) long, and are easy to identify because of the ridges that run concentrically around the shell over the splotchy brown markings.

The lines can sometimes be very prominent as you can see in some of Patricia B. Mitchell’s shell collection.  And not all Venus shells will have the brown markings.

Cross-barred venus seashells
Cross-barred Venus Shells

The underside of the shell will most likely have some purple color to it. They are found from North Carolina to Brazil. My little collection came from Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Cross-barred venus clams with textured shells and brown stripes
The underside of the shells are dark purple or pinkish

Author: Pam

Spending time on the water is the best, and blogging about the sea life found along the saltwater river and ocean is what I do. I’m also a designer at Zazzle and sell my work, with a lot of ocean themes, on the site.

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