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.List of all state shells http://www.jaxshells.org/listing.htm 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 State Shell Image Year designated Alabama Johnstone's junoniaScaphella junonia ssp. johnstoneae 1990Connecticut Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica 1989Delaware Channeled whelk Busycotypus canaliculatus 2014Florida Horse conch Triplofusus papillosus 1969Georgia Knobbed whelk Busycon carica 1987Massachusetts New England Neptune Neptunea lyrata ssp. decemcostata 1987Mississippi Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica 1974New Jersey Knobbed whelk Busycon carica ssp. gmelin 1995New York Bay scallop Argopecten irradians 1988North Carolina Scotch bonnet Semicassis granulata 1965Oregon Oregon hairy triton Fusitriton oregonensis 1989Rhode Island Quahaug Mercenaria mercenaria 1987South Carolina Lettered olive Oliva sayana 1984Texas Lightning whelk Sinistrofulgur perversum ssp. pulleyi 1987Virginia Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica 1974
See also List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia
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