|
|
|
A partial list of the shells most often found on Anchor Bay beach. Anchor Bay's dynamic sand movements uncover or bury rocky areas and tide pools, discouraging the establishment of large snail populations, which either graze algae or prey on each other. And sand dwelling mollusks have difficulty establishing colonies in sand flats that are here today, gone tomorrow. If the beach were more stable, one where the sand stayed in one place year round, then shells would be more plentiful. Shelling at Anchor Bay is mostly a wintertime activity. Shells are buried by the buildup of sand in the spring and are not seen very often during the summer and early fall. However, when the sand begins to shift offshore with the fall and winter weather patterns, the shells become exposed. The first folks to explore the beach when the sand is removed by storms finds the better treasures. And each new storm can wash up even more. As a guidebook, we recommend "Pacific Coast Shells" by Percy A.
Morris, one of the Peterson Field Guides series. |
- List Key: Most Common, Occasional Top
- Rough Keyhole Limpet Diodora aspera
- Many-ribbed Puncturella Puncturella multistriata
- Shield Limpet Acmaea pelta
- White-capped Limpet Acmaea mitra
- Channeled Dog Welk Nassarius fossatus
- Dire Welk Searlesia dira
- Scaled Worm Shell Serpulorbis squamigerus
- White Slipper Shell Crepidula nummaria
- Red Abalone Haliotis rufescens
- Black Top Tegula funebralis
- Brown Top Tegula brunnea
- Pearly Monia Pododesmus cepio
- Eccentric Sand Dollar Dendraster excentricus
- Giant Pacific Chiton (8 plates) Cryptochiton stelleri
- Purple Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
- Giant Rock Scallop Hinnites giganteus
- Hinds' Scallop Chlamys rubidus
- Pacific Littleneck Prothaca staminea
- Leafy Hornmouth Ceratostoma foliatum
- Hairy Mopalia (8 plates) Mopalia ciliata
- Frilled Dogwinklel Thais lamellosa
- Common Piddock Clam Penitella penita
- Pacific Gaper Clam Tresus nuttalii (sub. capax?)
- Bodega Tellin Tellina bodegensis
- Emarginate Dogwinkle Thais emarginata
- Channeled Top Shell Calliostoma canalicatum
- Catalina Miter Mitra catalinae
- Fat Dog Welk Nassarius perpinguis
- Lurid Rock Shell Ocenebra lurida
- Apple Seed Erato vitellina
- Purple Olive Olivella biplicata
- Wentletrap Opalia chacei
- Indian Wentletrap Epitonium indianorum
- Eschricht's Bittium Bittium eschrichti
Anchor Bay Campground's Shell List |