Seashell

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For the coaster ship of this name, see MV Seashell. For the color, see Seashell (color).

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Part of a series on

Seashells

Mollusc shells

Clam shells
Chiton shells
Snail shells
Tusk shells

About mollusc shells

Conchology
Nacre
Valve

Other seashells

Brachiopod shells
Crustacean shells
Horseshoe crabs
Sea urchin tests

v
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Seashells washed up on the beach in Valencia, Spain; nearly all are single valves of bivalve mollusks, mostly
of Mactra corallina

Hand-picked molluscan seashells (bivalves and gastropods) from the beach at Clacton on Sea in England

A group of seashells
 Mixed shells on a beach in Venezuela

Seashells living in the Persian Gulf

A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer created by
an animal that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often
found washed up on beaches by beachcombers. The shells are empty because the animal has died
and the soft parts have been eaten by another animal or have rotted out.
The term seashell usually refers to the exoskeleton of an invertebrate (an animal without a
backbone), and is typically composed of calcium carbonate or chitin. Most shells that are found on
beaches are the shells of marinemollusks, partly because these shells are usually made of calcium
carbonate, and endure better than shells made of chitin.
Apart from mollusk shells, other shells that can be found on beaches are those
of barnacles, horseshoe crabsand brachiopods. Marine annelid worms in the
family Serpulidae create shells which are tubes made of calcium carbonate cemented onto other
surfaces. The shells of sea urchins are called tests, and the moulted shells of crabs and lobsters are
called exuviae. While most seashells are external, some cephalopods have internal shells.
Seashells have been used by humans for many different purposes throughout history and pre-
history. However, seashells are not the only kind of shells; in various habitats, there are shells from
freshwater animals such as freshwater mussels and freshwater snails, and shells of land snails.

Contents
[hide]

1Terminology
2Occurrence
3Molluscan seashells
o 3.1Bivalves
o 3.2Gastropods
o 3.3Polyplacophorans
o 3.4Cephalopods
o 3.5Molluscan seashells used by other animals
3.5.1Mollusks
3.5.2Invertebrates
o 3.6Conchology
3.6.1Shell clubs
3.6.2Identification
3.6.3Non-marine "seashells"
o 3.7Cultural significance
3.7.1Currency
3.7.2Tools
3.7.3Horticulture
 3.7.4Religion and spirituality
3.7.5Musical instruments
3.7.6Personal adornment
3.7.7Crafts
3.7.8Architectural decoration
3.7.9Art
3.7.10Poultry feeds
4Shells of other marine invertebrates
o 4.1Arthropods
o 4.2Sea urchins
o 4.3Brachiopods
o 4.4Annelids
5Other more atypical kinds
o 5.1Chelonians
o 5.2Hard corals
o 5.3Soft corals
o 5.4Plankton and protists
6See also
7References
o 7.1Books
8External links

Terminology[edit]
When the word "seashells" refers only to the shells of marine mollusks, then studying seashells is
part of conchology. Conchologists or serious collectors who have a scientific bias are in general
careful not to disturb living populations and habitats: even though they may collect a few live
animals, most responsible collectors do not often over-collect or otherwise disturb ecosystems.
The study of the entire molluscan animal (as well as the shell) is known as malacology; a person
who studies mollusks is known as a malacologist.

Seashells on the beach.

Occurrence[edit]
Seashells are commonly found in beach drift, which is natural detritus deposited along strandlines
on beaches by the waves and the tides. Shells are very often washed up onto a beach empty and
clean, the animal having already died.
Empty seashells are often picked up by beachcombers. However, the majority of seashells which
are offered for sale commercially have been collected alive (often in bulk) and then killed and
cleaned, specifically for the commercial trade.[citation needed] This type of large-scale exploitation can
sometimes have a strong negative impact on local ecosystems, and sometimes can significantly
reduce the distribution of rare species.

Molluscan seashells[edit]
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Seashells hand picked from beach drift in North Wales at Shell Island near Harlech
Castle, Wales, bivalves and gastropods, March/April 1985

Main article: Mollusc shell

The word seashell is often used to mean only the shell of a marine mollusk. Marine mollusk shells
that are familiar to beachcombers and thus most likely to be called "seashells" are the shells of
marine species of bivalves (or clams), gastropods (or snails), scaphopods (or tusk
shells), polyplacophorans (or chitons), and cephalopods (such as nautilus and spirula). These shells
are very often the most commonly encountered, both in the wild, and for sale as decorative objects.
Marine species of gastropods and bivalves are more numerous than land and freshwater species,
and the shells are often larger and more robust. The shells of marine species also often have
more sculpture and more color, although this is by no means always the case.
In the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the planet, there are far more species of colorful, large,
shallow water shelled marine mollusks than there are in the temperate zones and the regions closer
to the poles.
Although there are a number of species of shelled mollusks that are quite large, there are vast
numbers of extremely small species too, see micromollusks.
Not all mollusks are marine. There are numerous land and freshwater mollusks, see for
example snail and freshwater bivalves. In addition, not all mollusks have an external shell: some
mollusks such as some cephalopods (squid and octopuses) have an internal shell, and many
mollusks have no shell, see for example slug and nudibranch.
Bivalves[edit]
Single valves of the bivalve Senilia senilis, plus two gastropods, washed up on the beach at Fadiouth, Senegal

Bivalves are often the most common seashells that wash up on large sandy beaches or in
sheltered lagoons. They can sometimes be extremely numerous. Very often the two valvesbecome
separated.
There are more than 15,000 species of bivalves that live in both marine and freshwater. Examples of
bivalves are clams, scallops, mussels, and oysters. The majority of bivalves consist of two identical
shells that are held together by a flexible hinge. The animal's body is held protectively inside these
two shells. Bivalves that do not have two shells either have one shell or they lack a shell altogether.
The shells are made of calcium carbonate and are formed in layers by secretions from the mantle.
Bivalves, also known as pelecypods, are mostly filter feeders; through their gills, they draw in water,
in which is trapped tiny food particles. Some bivalves have eyes and an open circulatory system.
Bivalves are used all over the world as food and as a source of pearls. The larvae of some
freshwater mussels can be dangerous to fish and can bore through wood.
Shell Beach, Western Australia, is a beach which is entirely made up of the shells of
the cockle Fragum erugatum.
Gastropods[edit]

Numerous Turritella gastropod shells washed up on a beach at Playa Grande, Costa Rica

Certain species of gastropod seashells (the shells of sea snails) can sometimes be common,
washed up on sandy beaches, and also on beaches that are surrounded by rocky marine habitat.
Polyplacophorans[edit]
Loose valves or plates from Chiton tuberculatus from the beachdrift on the southeast coast of Nevis, West
Indies

Chiton plates or valves often wash up on beaches in rocky areas where chitons are common. Chiton
shells, which are composed of eight separate plates and a girdle, usually come apart not long after
death, so they are almost always found as disarticulated plates. Plates from larger species of chitons
are sometimes known as "butterfly shells" because of their shape.
Cephalopods[edit]

Cuttlebone from a Sepia sp.

Shells of 3 species of Nautilus

Only a few species of cephalopods have shells (either internal or external) that are sometimes found
washed up on beaches.
Some cephalopods such as Sepia, the cuttlefish, have a large internal shell, the cuttlefish bone, and
this often washes up on beaches in parts of the world where cuttlefish are common.
Spirula spirula is a deep water squid-like cephalopod. It has an internal shell which is small (about 1
in or 24 mm) but very light and buoyant. This chambered shell floats very well and therefore washes
up easily and is familiar to beachcombers in the tropics.
Nautilus is the only genus of cephalopod that has a well-developed external shell. Females of the
cephalopod genus Argonauta create a papery egg case which sometimes washes up on tropical
beaches and is referred to as a "paper nautilus".
The largest group of shelled cephalopods, the ammonites, are extinct, but their shells are very
common in certain areas as fossils.
Molluscan seashells used by other animals[edit]
Empty molluscan seashells are a sturdy, and usually readily available, "free" resource which is often
easily found on beaches, in the intertidal zone, and in the shallow subtidal zone. As such they are
sometimes used second-hand by animals other than humans for various purposes, including for
protection (as in hermit crabs) and for construction.
Mollusks[edit]

Carrier shells in the family Xenophoridae are marine shelled gastropods, fairly large sea snails.
Most species of xenophorids cement a series of objects to the rim of their shells as they grow.
These objects are sometimes small pebbles or other hard detritus. Very often shells of bivalves
or smaller gastropods are used, depending on what is available on the
particular substrate where the snail itself lives. It is not clear whether these shell attachments
serve as camouflage, or whether they are intended to help prevent the shell sinking into a soft
substrate.

An ocellated (spotted) octopus using a clamshell as a shelter

Small octopuses sometimes use an empty shell as a sort of cave to hide in, or hold seashells
around themselves as a form of protection like a temporary fortress.
Invertebrates[edit]

Marine hermit crab Diogenes pugilator, using a shell of the dog whelk Nassarius reticulatus

Almost all genera of hermit crabs use or "wear" empty marine gastropod shells throughout their
lifespan, in order to protect their soft abdomens, and in order to have a strong shell to withdraw
into if attacked by a predator. Each individual hermit crab is forced to find another gastropod
shell on a regular basis, whenever it grows too large for the one it is currently using.
Some hermit crab species live on land and may be found quite some distance from the sea,
including those in the tropical genus Coenobita.
Conchology[edit]
Main article: Conchology
There are numerous popular books and field guides on the subject of shell-collecting. Although
there are a number of books about land and freshwater mollusks, the majority of popular books
emphasize, or focus exclusively on, the shells of marine mollusks. Both the science of studying
mollusk shells and the hobby of collecting and classifying them are known as conchology. The
line between professionals and amateur enthusiasts is often not well defined in this subject,
because many amateurs have contributed to, and continue to contribute to, conchology and the
larger science of malacology. Many shell collectors belong to "shell clubs" where they can meet
others who share their interests. A large number of amateurs collect the shells of marine
mollusks, and this is partly because many shells wash up empty on beaches, or live in
the intertidal or sub-tidal zones, and are therefore easily found and preserved without much in
the way of specialized equipment or expensive supplies. Some shell collectors find their own
material and keep careful records, or buy only "specimen shells", which means shells which
have full collecting data: information including how, when, where, in what habitat, and by whom,
the shells were collected. On the other hand, some collectors buy the more widely available
commercially imported exotic shells, the majority of which have very little data, or none at all.
To museum scientists, having full collecting data (when, where, and by whom it was collected)
with a specimen is far more important than having the shell correctly identified. Some owners of
shell collections hope to be able to donate their collection to a major natural history or zoology
museum at some point, however, shells with little or no collecting data are usually of no value to
science, and are likely not to be accepted by a major museum. Apart from any damage to the
shell that may have happened before it was collected, shells can also suffer damage when they
are stored or displayed. For an example of one rather serious kind of damage see Byne's
disease.
Shell clubs[edit]
There are a number of clubs or societies which consist of people who are united by a shared
interest in shells. In the US these clubs are more common in southerly coastal areas, such
as Florida and California, where the marine fauna is rich in species.
Identification[edit]
Seashells are usually identified by consulting general or regional shell-collecting field guides,
and specific scientific books on different taxa of shell-bearing mollusks (monographs) or
"iconographies" (limited text - mainly photographs or other illustrations). (For a few titles on this
subject in the US, see the list of books at the foot of this article.) Identifications to the species
level are generally achieved by examining illustrations and written descriptions, rather than by
the use of Identification keys, as is often the case in identifying plants and other phyla of
invertebrates. The construction of functional keys for the identification of the shells of marine
mollusks to the species level can be very difficult, because of the great variability within many
species and families. The identification of certain individual species is often very difficult, even
for a specialist in that particular family. Some species cannot be differentiated on the basis of
shell character alone.
Numerous smaller and more obscure mollusk species (see micromollusk) are yet to be
discovered and named. In other words, they have not yet been differentiated from similar
species and assigned scientific (binomial) names in articles in journals recognized by
the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Large numbers of new
species are published in the scientific literature each year. There are currently an estimated
100,000 species of mollusks worldwide.
Non-marine "seashells"[edit]

A group of purchased (mostly marine) shells includes the shell of a large tropical land snail (upper
right), and a shiny freshwater apple snail shell (center)

The term seashell is also applied loosely to mollusk shells that are not of marine origin, for
example by people walking the shores of lakes and rivers using the term for the freshwater
mollusk shells they encounter. Seashells purchased from tourist shops or dealers may include
various freshwater and terrestrial shells as well. Non-marine items offered may include large and
colorful tropical land snail shells, freshwater apple snail shells, and pearly freshwater unionid
mussel shells. This can be confusing to collectors, as non-marine shells are often not included in
their reference books.