List of U.S. state shells

This is a list of official state shells for those States of the USA that have chosen to select one as part of their state insignia.^[1]

These are seashells, the shells of various marine mollusks including both gastropod and bivalves. Each one was chosen to represent a maritime state, based on the fact that the species occurs in that state and was considered suitable to represent the state, either because of the species commercial importance as a local seafood item, or because of its beauty, rarity, exceptional size, or other features.

Table

State	Shell	Image	Year designated
Alabama	Johnstone's Junonia Scaphella junonia subspecies johnstoneae		1990[2]
Connecticut	Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica		1989
Florida	Horse Conch Pleuroploca gigantea		1969
Georgia	Knobbed Whelk Busycon carica		1987
Massachusetts	Wrinkled Whelk, New England Neptune Neptunea lyrata decemcostata		1987
Mississippi	Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica		1974
New Jersey	Knobbed Whelk Busycon carica		1995
New York	Bay Scallop Argopecten irradians		1988
North Carolina	Scotch bonnet Semicassis granulata		1965[3]
Oregon	Oregon Hairy Triton Fusitriton oregonensis		1989
Rhode Island	Northern Quahog Mercenaria mercenaria		1987
South Carolina	Lettered Olive Oliva sayana		1984
Texas	Prickly Whelk Busycon perversum subspecies pulleyi		1989
Virginia	Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica		1974

See also

• List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia

References

1. List of all state shells http://www.jaxshells.org/listing.htm
2. "Alabama Shell". Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History. 2001-07-12. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
3. "Official State Symbols of North Carolina". North Carolina State Library (State of North Carolina). Retrieved 2008-01-26.

External links

• Media related to Mollusca of the United States at Wikimedia Commons