Seashells - Seashells by Millhill

Jingle Shells and Their Curious Alternative Name – Mermaid’s Toenails

Jingle shells (Anomia ephippium) are not hard to find on the beaches of Florida. They can also be found from Massachusetts to Brazil according to my seashell ID book.

They have been given the nickname “Mermaid’s Toenails” and I can see why. They are wrinkled and polished looking and come in a variety of translucent colors from shades of orange to dark gray, with white and off-white being common as well.

Jingle shells in pretty peach, yellow, white and silver colors — Jingle shells come in pretty colors.

black and silver jingle shells — Jingle shells which have turned black due to being buried in sediment before eventually washing ashore. Read more about black seashells here.

Do Jingle Shells Jingle?

The “jingle” part of their name comes from the fact that they (supposedly) make a jingling sound when grouped in your collecting pail.

Their thinness does not mean they are fragile, in fact they are very sturdy little shells that measure around one to two inches across. The pretty variety of colors makes them perfect for display or creating crafts and they add interest in a jar of shells.

The mollusk that makes the shell usually attaches itself to something – a rock or even another larger shell – in the ocean. It also takes the form of the item it attaches to which would explain it’s bumpy appearance. Then, when the bivalve shell splits apart – for whatever reason, only one half washes up on shore. The other half is still attached to the place where it lived, or breaks since it is the thinner part of the shell. Read more about this shell in this article at the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum site.

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Pictures of Seashells From Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island is located on the west coast, the Gulf coast of Florida.
It is well known as an excellent location for collecting seashells. On the shores of Sanibel Island and neighboring Captiva, a wide variety of sea life and various types of shells wash up on shore. I visited and stayed there twice in the 25 years I lived in central Florida, but it would have been nice to go without kids so I could have strolled the beach leisurely…but I have NEVER been without kids…so I enjoyed the area from a kids view, which meant standing close by as they swam.

Nevertheless I did collect some nice little bivalves, like the spine jewel box shells in my photo below.

The gulf area is perfect for young children because the water is generally calmer than the Atlantic water and therefore not much of an undertow. It’s perfect for anyone because it’s just so beautiful. We watched gorgeous sunsets through the palm trees and were up early every morning to scour the beach for good shells. I’m lucky that I got to visit before it became so full of people.

One of the pretty shells found along the beaches is the jingle shell. They are pretty colors when collected on the West coast. On the East side of the state I often find black shells.

We’d see Stingrays gliding along just off shore. Beach shoes of some kind were necessary because the beach is made up of shells which are crushed and whole. We were afflicted with the “Sanibel Stoop” just like everyone else vacationing there! It happens when there is so much to view close up on the beach that you are in a constant stooping position.

I have large jar of shells that mostly came from the beaches there (in 1990 or 91) and I have recently been trying to identify them. Some of the shells in the image above are called “kitten’s paw” shells. I photographed them alongside a daisy flower to show how small they are.

Seashell Names- Two Little Shells

The seashells you collect will be different depending on where in Florida you search for them.

If you go to the beach looking to collect nice big seashells you may be disappointed. Some areas of Florida are known for their seashell offerings (Sanibel Island on the West coast, for instance), but not all Florida beaches are littered with shells.

Many of the prettiest shells you will see are tiny. You must look carefully as you walk along the beach.

These two little sea shells were collected along the gulf coast of Florida when my family visited Sanibel Island. They are small, only about 1/2 inch in length. I never knew what type of shells they were, but eventually I became interested in shell names and found out their scientific names.

I think these shells compliment each other nicely with matching colors in stripes and spots.

The rounded one with tiny stripes is a natica, which is in the family Naticidae along with Moon Snails and Shark’s Eye shells.

The little spotted shell is a “Babylonia spirata”. I’ve never collected another shell like it, but then I rarely go to Sanibel.

The shells I find on the East coast of Florida often differ from the ones on the West. For one thing shells here on the East are not as pretty and there is less of a variety. They are usually worn and broken from the waves and tides. The Gulf waters are calmer so shells don’t get as beat up. Different species like to live in calm water too, and they wouldn’t like it on the Atlantic side. I find my best (most interesting) shells while out boating in the backwaters. Often they are home to hermit crabs, so I take a picture and leave it where I found it.

If you visit the drive-on beach area in New Smyrna Beach the ark shells in my photo above are mostly what you will find, along with tiny coquina shells.