Shells

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Shells you may find on the rocky shore, in the shallows or washed up on the beach. Please leave any shell with an animal still living inside where you found it.

protected protected by Bermuda law   found only in Bermuda endemic   introduced brought in by people (Bermuda’s protected species)

West Indian Top Shell Cittarium picaprotectedOnce extinct in Bermuda, reintroduced in the 1980s and now protected.Photo: Louis Charles Kiener / Wikimedia Commons (PUBLIC DOMAIN)

Bleeding Tooth Nerite Nerita pelorontaA red "bleeding tooth" mark beside its opening.Photo: Eridan Xharahi (CC BY)

Checkered Nerite Nerita tessellataBlack and white checks; common on the rocky shore.Photo: W. Terry Hunefeld (CC BY)

Four-toothed Nerite Nerita versicolorA colourful nerite of the rocky shore.Photo: Veronidae / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Barbados Keyhole Limpet Fissurella barbadensisA limpet with a "keyhole" at the top.Photo: Thomas Irvine (CC BY)

Beaded Periwinkle Cenchritis muricatusA knobbly periwinkle high up on the rocks.Photo: Bob Peterson (CC BY)

Zebra Periwinkle Echinolittorina ziczacZig-zag stripes; lives just above the waterline.Photo: Eridan Xharahi (CC BY)

Milk Conch Macrostrombus costatusprotectedA heavy conch of the seagrass beds.Photo: Trish Hartmann (CC BY)

Flamingo Tongue Snail Cyphoma gibbosumIts colourful mantle covers the shell; lives on sea fans. Look, don't take.Photo: Dan Schofield (CC BY)

Violet Sea Snail Janthina janthinaFloats on a raft of bubbles; washes ashore after storms.Photo: pimelea (CC BY)

Merchant Dove Shell Columbella mercatoriaA small, colourful dove shell.Photo: H. Zell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Stocky Cerith Cerithium litteratumA sturdy, spotted spiral shell.Photo: Udo Schmidt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Turkey Wing Arca zebraZebra-striped "turkey wing" ark shell.Photo: James St. John (CC BY)

Amber Pen Shell Pinna carneaStands upright in the sand, attached by fine threads.Photo: Natalie Waddell-Rutter (CC BY)

Atlantic Pearl Oyster Pinctada imbricataprotectedA pearl oyster with a shiny mother-of-pearl lining.Photo: Wilfredor / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Flat Tree Oyster Isognomon alatusGrows in clusters on mangrove roots and docks.Photo: Étienne Léveillé-Bourret (CC BY)

Leafy Jewel Box Chama macerophyllaA frilly, colourful "jewel box".Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Tiger Lucine Codakia orbicularisA round white clam of sandy bottoms.Photo: James St. John (CC BY)

Calico Clam Megapitaria maculataprotectedA glossy clam with calico markings.Photo: Hayes Valentine (CC BY)

Zigzag Scallop Euvola ziczacprotectedA zigzag-patterned scallop.Photo: Veronidae / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Atlantic Winged Oyster Pteria colymbusAttaches itself to sea rods and sea fans.Photo: Eridan Xharahi (CC BY)

See the complete list of every shell recorded in Bermuda »

Species chosen from research-grade sightings recorded in Bermuda on iNaturalist. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public-domain licences; click a credit to see the original. « Flora & Fauna of Bermuda  |  Scuba Diving in Bermuda