Stiff Pen Shell
Atrina rigida
A big, brittle, fan-shaped shell that stands point-down in the sand and shatters in the surf.
- Typical size
- 5–10 in
- How often it turns up
- Common as fragments, uncommon whole
- Collecting
- Restricted
- Handling
- Sharp edges
Florida allows no live shelling in many counties and parks. If the animal is still inside, photograph it and put it back where you found it.
How to tell it apart
- Large triangular fan shape
- Thin, brittle, often with short spines
- Iridescent nacre inside the pointed end
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut will rank the likely matches, then log it to your collection.
Identify a find
