Cross-barred Venus
Chione elevata
A small, sturdy clam with a waffle-like grid of ridges, one of the most abundant shells in Florida drift.
- Typical size
- 0.75–1.5 in
- How often it turns up
- Extremely common
- Collecting
- Restricted
- Handling
- Safe to handle
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
- Crosshatched grid of concentric and radial ridges
- Chalky white, sometimes brown-flecked
- Purple stain inside the margin
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut will rank the likely matches, then log it to your collection.
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