California Shells, Sea Snails and Chitons

This page links to some of the living seashells we saw and photographed in California, mostly around the Channel Islands off Ventura and Santa Barbara. This page includes shelled gastropods; nudibranchs and their relatives are figured on another page. This is just a small sample of the species present in the area. Shells were generally not measured in the field, so any sizes given are estimates.

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Buccinidae - whelks


Kelletia kelletii

Bursidae - frog shells


Crossata californica

Calliostomatidae - top shells


Calliiostoma annulatum

Calliostoma cf supragranosum

Columbellidae - dove shells


Columbellidae spp.

Conidae - cones


Californiconus californicus

Cypraeidae - cowries


Neobernaya spadicea


Cystiscidae


Cystiscidae sp. 1

Epitoniidae - wentletraps


Epitonium tinctum

Eratoidae


Hespererato vitellina

Fasciolariidae - spindle shells


Hesperaptyxis luteopictus


Fasciolariidae sp.

Fissurellidae - keyhole limpets


Megathura crenulata

Granulinidae


Granulina margaritula

Haliotidae - abalone


Haliotis corrugata


Haliotis fulgens

Marginellidae - marginellid shells


Volvarina taeniolata

Mitridae - miter shells


Altimitra idae

Muricidae - murexes


Babelomurex oldroydi


Ceratostoma foliatum

Ceratostoma nuttalli

Maxwellia gemma

Maxwellia santarosana

Paciocinebrina foveolata

Pteropurpura festiva

Pteropurpura macroptera

Pteropurpura trialata

Pteropurpura vokesae

Naticidae - moon snails


Glossaulax reclusiana

Olividae - olives


Callianax biplicata

Ovulidae - false cowries


Simnia arcuata


Simnia sp. 1

Pseudomelatomidae


Megasurcula stearnsiana

Tegulidae


Norrisia norrisii


Tegula funebralis

Tegula regina

Terebridae - augers


Neoterebra pedroana

Triphoridae


Triphora catalinensis

Triviidae - trivias


Pseudopusula californiana


Pusula solandri

Turbinidae - turban shells


Megastraea undosa

Velutinidae


Lamellaria diegoensis

Vermetidae - worm snails


Thaacodes squamigerus

Chitons


Callistochiton crassicostatus


Callistochiton palmulatus

Lepidozona clathrata

Lepidozona mertensii

Lepidozona pectinulata

Nuttallina californica

Oldroydia percrassa

Stenoplax heathiana

Tonicella lokii

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