List of U.S. state shells

This is a list of official state shells for those states of the United States that have chosen to select one as part of their state insignia.[1] In 1965, North Carolina was the first state to designate an official state shell, the Scotch bonnet. Since then, 14 other states have designated an official state shell.

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

[edit]

State | Shell | Image | Year designated

|
|
|

Alabama |
Johnstone's junonia

Scaphella junonia ssp. johnstoneae
|  | 1990[2]
Connecticut |
Eastern oyster

Crassostrea virginica

|  | 1989
Delaware | Channeled whelk

Busycotypus canaliculatus |  | 2014[3]
Florida | Horse conch

Triplofusus papillosus |  | 1969[4]
Georgia | Knobbed whelk

Busycon carica |  | 1987[5]
Massachusetts | New England Neptune

Neptunea lyrata ssp. decemcostata |  | 1987[6]
Mississippi |
Eastern oyster

Crassostrea virginica |  | 1974[7]
New Jersey | Knobbed whelk

Busycon carica ssp. gmelin |  | 1995[8]
New York | Bay scallop

Argopecten irradians |  | 1988[9]
North Carolina | Scotch bonnet

Semicassis granulata |  | 1965[10]
Oregon | Oregon hairy triton

Fusitriton oregonensis |  | 1989[11]
Rhode Island | Quahaug

Mercenaria mercenaria |  | 1987[12]
South Carolina | Lettered olive

Oliva sayana |  | 1984[13]
Texas |
Lightning whelk

Sinistrofulgur perversum ssp. pulleyi
|  | 1987[14]
Virginia |
Eastern oyster

Crassostrea virginica
|  | 1974[15]

## See also

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

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. July 12, 2001. Archived from the original on August 10, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
3. ^ "Chapter - Delaware General Assembly".
4. ^ "State Shell - Florida Department of State".
5. ^ "Government & Politics".
6. ^ "Massachusetts Facts Part One: Concise Facts". Secretary of the State of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
7. ^ "State Symbols". www.ms.gov. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
8. ^ "Session Laws of New Jersey". 1995. hdl:10929/50436.
9. ^ "NYS Kids Room - State Symbols". www.dos.ny.gov. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012.
10. ^ "Official State Symbols of North Carolina". North Carolina State Library. State of North Carolina. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2008.
11. ^ "Chapter 186".
12. ^ "RIGOV".
13. ^ "South Carolina State House | South Carolina State Symbols".
14. ^ "Texas State Symbols - Texas State Library and Archives Commission | TSLAC".
15. ^ "§ 1-510. Official emblems and designations".

## External links

[edit]

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

seashell at Wikipedia's sister projects

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