Looking to find seashells by the seashore? You’ve probably spotted hundreds of shells in a variety of shapes and colors while enjoying New Jersey’s beautiful beaches. The sand beneath your feet has been formed by rocks and shells ground down by waves over hundreds of thousands of years.
On northern beaches like Sandy Hook, sand is coarser. In Atlantic City, it’s softer and finer. Down in Cape May, you’ll find pebbles and Cape May diamonds. These differences are due to the surrounding land masses, which shape the waves and cause sand texture to vary. Among these sands and rocks, shells along the coast of New Jersey tend to remain fairly consistent. Here are some of the most common shells you’ll find along the Jersey Shore:
Knobbed whelk
This is New Jersey’s state shell. The knobbed whelk comes from a predatory sea snail native to the East Coast between Maine and northern Florida. The shell is dextral, meaning it spirals to the right. Its color is usually pale gray or olive, and the interior tends to be a muted orange. These snails live in deeper waters, and when they die or abandon their shells, they often wash up on shore. Like conches, knobbed whelks are edible and can be enjoyed deep-fried or in salads.
Blood ark
These white bivalves range from Canada to Brazil. Surprisingly, the shell is often covered in a dark brown fur called periostracum, which protects the mollusk and makes the shell thick and sturdy. The 35 hinge lines between the shells act as “teeth” to help it stay closed. The blood ark is named for its red blood—rare among mollusks. It thrives about 10 feet beneath the water’s surface, buried in mud.
Common slipper shell
This shell comes from a medium-sized snail found across the Atlantic Ocean. Also known as the boat shell, it’s considered an invasive species in countries such as Italy, Denmark, the United Kingdom, France and Spain due to its damage to oyster beds. In some areas, it’s consumed in clam juice or broth. In Hawaii, it’s even considered a delicacy.
Ponderous ark
This shell is less common in New Jersey but is one of the most frequent finds on Sanibel Island in Florida, known as a beachcomber’s paradise. It is often mistaken for a white shell stained with tar. The ponderous ark is found along the coast from Virginia to the Gulf of Mexico and typically resides on the ocean floor in shallow water.
Blue mussel
Also known as the common mussel, this edible bivalve lives in intertidal zones around the world. Mussels attach to rocks and other surfaces using byssal threads—a strong, fibrous substance secreted by the mollusk’s foot. They have separate sexes and reproduce by releasing sperm and eggs into the water. Unfortunately, they are a favorite food source for jellyfish.
Atlantic surf clam
Surf clams are the largest bivalves in the North Atlantic. Found from Maine to North Carolina, they can grow nearly 9 inches long. These clams are commonly harvested and used in chowders, pastas and stews. They live up to 35 years and feed on plankton and algae.
Northern quahog
This farmed clam is sustainably grown along the East Coast. It can grow up to 5 inches long and lives between 12 and 20 years. Females can release up to 5 million eggs into the water at once. Quahogs burrow into sand in intertidal zones and thrive in high-salinity environments.
False angelwing
This clam species is known for its delicate, spoon-shaped wings that give it a graceful appearance. Its shell is more brittle than most, so handle with care if you spot one. Found primarily in the Atlantic Ocean and New England, its shell ranges in color from off-white to a muddy yellow.
Bay scallop
Bay scallops move by rapidly opening and closing their ribbed shells, which also help them filter plankton. Their rounded shells vary in color—purple, blue-gray or red-brown. Scallops have short tentacles and between 30 and 40 eyes, which they use to detect predators like sea stars.
Shark eye
This mollusk is a member of the moon snail family and is both predatory and cannibalistic. Found throughout the Atlantic, shark eyes live under the sand, using their large foot to move. When hunting, they latch onto other snails and drill holes in their shells using a radula—a sharp, tongue-like organ. They inject acid through the hole to digest the prey inside.
Eastern oyster
Once abundant along the East Coast, oyster populations were depleted in the 20th century due to disease and overharvesting. Thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers have since rebounded. Adult oysters are sessile, meaning they remain in one place for life. Their shells range in color from off-white to brown. Oysters are farmed and wild-caught, and remain a staple in American cuisine.
