Little White Moon Snail Seashell

moon snail shell
Milk Moon Snail

There are many types, shapes and sizes of the moon shell family (Naticidae) but this little snail stands out because of it’s milky white and very glossy appearance.

The Milk Moon Snail (Polinices lacteus) is a common find on the beaches from North Carolina to Brazil and will be fairly small. Mine is only 3/4 of an inch (1.9cm) long and less than 1/2 inch (1.3cm) high. They can be as large as 1 1/2 inches (3.8cm) . The Latin “lacteus” means “milk white”.

moon snail shell
Bottom of the Milk Moon

It’s shape is very much like other moon snails and the shark’s eye shell. In New England there is a larger moon shell that can grow up to 5 inches (12.7cm) and feeds on clams. That one is the Common Northern Moon Shell and can be found as far north as New Brunswick and all the way down to North Carolina.

Unusual Beach Treasures

Old shell
Once a Shell

As we walk along the beach we hope to find something spectacular. A huge, perfect seashell or sand dollar or some stand-out item. We scan the edge of the surf hoping to spot something just within reach that everyone else has missed.

I always enjoyed finding unusual pieces of shells that had obviously been laying around in the water for a long time and been etched by something. This piece of a thick shell is full of dents made by …what??? I don’t know, but it’s a really cool piece I think.

Just remember that going to the beach is always a treat no matter what you may find and sometimes the coolest things show up on the shore.

The Strawberry Conch Shell

seashell
Strawberry Conch

This is the only Strawberry conch shell I have and I’ve been trying to find out about it for a while now.

They can be all white outside or with marking like mine in these photos, but they all have a dark orange, red or pink inner lining with a dark brown or black border at the opening.

It is shaped a lot like a cone shell, but I don’t believe it is called a cone.  I’m not sure.

Conch is the name given to a wide range of medium and large size sea snails in the Strombidae family.

seashell
The Spiral