NORTHWEST FLORIDA SPECIES QUICK REFERENCE GUIDES
Get To Know Your Local Shells!
This guide is designed to provide you with a one-stop source to obtain information on the scientific, and visual aspects of the shells found in the Florida Panhandle. The guide is not exhaustive as new species are being found quite often. The data contained herein is current as of February, 2026.
Created by: Jim Brunner
HOW TO USE THE INDEX FOUND IN THE REFERENCE GUIDE
Listings in the index are made in four different ways: Family, Genus, Species, and Common Name.
On your next shelling trip, you find what you are sure is an Olive, but are unsure of exactly which one. In the index you find OLIVIDAE in capital letters, which indicates a family. Next to it, is the number 15. This means all the Olives are located on that page (Spoiler Alert: Some families run over to the next page; the Olives are actually on pages 19-20). You can look through the various olives until you find your shell.
Let's say you can't remember the family but do know the genus (a general grouping within the family). Here, that is Oliva and the index shows they are on page 19. When you arrive there, you learn the name of the family is in Bold Capital letters at the top of the Olive section. Look through the Oliva to find your shell.
Okay, we don't know the family or the genus but we do know the species name "sayana." Under "S" in the index we find: sayana, Oliva 19 showing us the species, the genus, and the page to look at in the Quick Reference Guide.
Okay, forget all that Latin stuff. All we know is the Common Name is, Lettered Olive. Under "L" we find Lettered Olive 19 So, if you know any of these four pieces information, the index will help you find out where to look in Quick Reference Guide.
Don't know any of it? Two choices: 1). Scroll idly through the 443 entries on the list until find what you are looking for, or 2). Ask a fellow club member what it is -- if they don't know it off the top of their head, they should be able to get it into a family or even a genus. Don't be shy -- I shelled the Panhandle for 45 years and still will look at a shell and have no idea about its name. No one knows them all!
The following individuals/organizations have provided pictures for this effort:
Jose Leal, Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum.
Philippe Poppe, Conchology, at conchology.be
Marlo Krisberg, at https://olram9.wixsite.com/letstalkseashells
All these have a wealth of information available and should be explored.
Banded Tulip (Cinctura hunteria)
A striking Banded Tulip (Cinctura hunteria) in the frigid waters of St. Andrew’s Bay. Did you know True Tulips (Fasciolaria tulipa) prey on the Banded Tulip?
Sea Hare
No shell? Sea Hares have an internal shell. They can grow up to 16 inches, but this particular one was around 8 inches. I found it beached in Saint Andrew's State Park. When I placed it back in the water, it released its purple ink. They are harmless to humans. 4/15/25
Crown Conch (Melongena Corona)
A predator on the move during low tide in Saint Andrew's Bay. The Crown Conch feeds on other mollusks. 04/13/25.
Video Recommended By Jim B. 6/26/23
Video about mollusks that I found very interesting. Most of it is shot in Florida. It indicates where resources are available to help you with the sorting and identification of your collection. It has people in it you will recognize. It has some really cool photography. And most importantly, it has professional malacologists stressing that the role of the amateur collector is essential not only to their work but also in the overall protection of the molluscan world.
Murexes of the Florida Panhandle
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