Sea Shells North Coast NSW

Sea Shells
Nautilus.gif (7761 bytes)

Many shells are washed up on our beaches and the range of shells are seasonal. One of the best places to find them is at Grassy Head. Live Molluscs [shells] are also found on the beach and in the rock pools please look at them. Then return them to the beach or pool from where they were found, this way we will provide for survival of future Molluscs [shells].

In some cases the tide and current wash shells onto the beach especially with Ocean Pelagices. The nautilus is rarely found at Grassy Head but occasionally one is washed up, after storms is always a good time to find shells on the beach.

Shell Identification some common Shells

The Pipi is a common shell on the beach and can often be seen at the turn of the tide.

Pipi (28141 bytes)

Shell list by Common Name

On the Holiday Coast we have a large and diverse range of Molluscs[Shells]. This list is by no means complete their are many more Molluscs.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Likely to be found
Molluscs
Abalone	Haliotis coccoradiata	Common
Buccinid whelk	Penion mandarinus	Infrequent [deep water ]
Coat of Mail Shell	Chiton glaucus	Common
Cockle	Katelysia	Common
Cowrie	Cypraea piperita	Rare
Cowrie, Eroded	Cypraea erosa	Common
Cowrie, Money	Cypraea annulus	Rare
Cowrie, Snake [Serpent]-head	Cypraea caputserpentis	Rare
Cowrie, Striped [Volute]	Amoria zebra	Common
Elephant slug	Scutus antipodes	Infrequent
Flag razor Shell	Atrina vexillum	Common
Helmet, Angas's	Phalium glabratum angasi	Infrequent
Helmet Shell	Phalium areola [no shoulder nodules]	Common
Helmet, Checker or draught board	Phalium bandatum	Common
Limpet	Cellana tramoserica	Common
Moon Shell	Neverita incei	Common
Mudwhelk	Pyrazus ebeninus	Common
Muscle	Mytilus edulis	Common
Nerite	Nerita atramentosa	Common
Pipi also known as Golwa Cockle or Ugari	Donax deltoides	Common
Purple Shell	Dicathais orbita	Common
Scallop	Pecten fumatus	Common
Scallop, Prickly	Mimachlamys asperrima	Common
Top Shell	Austrocohlea constricta	Infrequent
Top Shell	Clanculus clangulus	Infrequent
Tun Shell	Tonna cepa	Infrequent
Turban	Tubo petholatus	Infrequent
Volute	Cymbiolista hunteri	Infrequent
Ocean Pelagics	True Ocean Pelagics are Molluscs that spend their whole lives drifting in the ocean between the surface and the sea floor coming to rest on the bottom only after death.	Infrequent, they sometimes wash up on the beach.
Large Violet Snail	Janthina Janthina	Rare
Pearly nautilus	Nautilus Pompilius	Rare
Ram's horn shell	Spirula Spirula	Rare

Some Important Links are:

Australian Microshells Homepage

Australian museum online - malacology - Extensive Mollusc Websites

Conchologists of America -- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Georgia Shell Club Shell Pictures

Warren Walker wwalker@Bigfoot.com

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