This post has photos of some of my broken seashells. I’ve turned it into a fun seashell quiz. It’s quick and interesting, and if you know your Florida beach shells you will pass with flying colors!
My seashell collection sits in a big round platter on my coffee table. I like to search through and find my favorites and sometimes I dig down underneath to find a pretty shell I’d forgotten about. The big clams are used to hold the tinier seashells. Often I need to remind myself of a shell’s name.
The broken and old, worn, shells can sometimes be the most difficult to identify. On this page I share some photos of the broken bits to create a fun little game of “identify me”. Not all shells are in my collection and not all area actually “shells”.
Can you identify the shell names from my pictures here? They are all different, and clue… *one is not a shell. The answers to the little seashell quiz are at the bottom of the page. (Some of the photos also link to a page where the whole seashell / mollusk can be seen.)
# 1
This is a pretty, shiny shell with a little “eye” in the center. That is a nice clue for ya’ll!
# 2
This black shell gave me some trouble until I noticed the unusual way it swirled.
# 3
The crab is a Giant Red Hermit but can you tell what type of shell he is living in? At first I didn’t know, but there is a little clue. By the way, this was the only time I have ever seen a hermit crab like this one! He obviously was having a hard time finding a good shell to call home and had to settle for this very broken shell.
I share lots of photos of typical hermit crabs found in my area. Almost all empty shells will contain a hermit crab. Or read Eight Handy Facts to Know about Hermit Crabs at Blue Reef Aquarium.
# 4
The very prominent knobs on these pieces will help identify this shell.
# 5
This very old and worn shell is a mollusk that I rarely ever find in my area. This is the only shell like it in my collection.
# 6
Although these bits of marine life are part of my seashell quiz, this item is not a shell. This one is tough to find whole and unbroken where I do my shelling. This is due to the constant wave action that will break apart a dead and dried specimen.
# 7
This big, worn, bleached and broken shell was one I brought home but had to take back to the water. A hermit crab was tucked way up inside that small spire area! I didn’t know this until we were home from our boating trip. Those little crabs can sometimes hide really well! We live close to the water, so this shell, with the little crab inside, went back into the saltwater.
# 8
This shell has horizontal stripes all around and is usually gray in color when I see them along the saltwater riverbeds.
Here Are The Answers, In Case You Need Them!
How well did you do? I’ve linked to other posts showing better images of these beach shells.
- #1 Shark’s Eye – Uniquely round shell
- #2 Lightning whelk – Popular find all around Florida
- #3 Crown Conch – Very easily found shell when boating the Indian River.
- #4 Knobbed Whelk – a thick and hefty whelk
- #5 Fighting Conch – a rarely found shell in my area.
- #6 Sand Dollar – See how a living sand dollar has a very different appearance.
- #7 Channeled Whelk – Little bumps on an extended spire.
- #8 Banded Tulip – Gorgeous shells that can get quite large.
If you thought this was fun, take another Seashell Quiz by searching online. There are quite a few, which are fun and informative.
