Collecting and Identifying Seashells - Tropical Waters

Shell collecting has been a hobby of mine since childhood. Living near the Atlantic Ocean was inspiring and relatives visiting Florida would bring more exotic types home for me.

It can bring you to areas of the world you may never visit, or you can just enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer.

Tropical waters can be defined by temperatures that exceed 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).

The Black Murex shell is also known as the Radish Murex.

It is a univalve with short spines, measuring 5 inches. It is a popular changing shell for the large hermit crab.

This seashell can be found in the tropic Pacific Ocean, from Panama to Ecuador.

This is the large polished Green Turban that measures from 3-4 inches.

“Turbo” is Latin for spinning top.

This shell has a lovely pearlized interior.

Dextral means it is "right handed" as are most univalve (single shell usually coiled) seashells.

The Spider Conch (Lambis Lambis) is a marine snail and a true conch, native to tropical waters.

This particular shell is probably a male as it has short “fingers.”

The Spider Conch shell looks less formidable when the empty shell is exposed.

What a shock it would be if something were living inside!

The Pink Conch shell is an edible sea snail that can be found from Bermuda to Brazil.

This particular shell is probably an adult Queen and is in the same family as the Spider Conch.

The Pink Conch is popular for home decorations and jewelry such as cameos.

The Abalone is an edible sea snail that can be found in the waters off Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and California.

Its inner layer is used as mother of pearl in jewelry and accessories.

All photos in this article were taken by the author, Camille Gizzarelli.

If any of the Hubpages readers collect seashells, I would love to hear from you.