Florida Keyhole Urchin
Encope michelini
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A large, thick sand dollar with a single keyhole slot and notched edges, heavier than the common five-slot kind.
- Typical size
- 3–5 in
- How often it turns up
- Uncommon
- Collecting
- Usually legal to collect
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Bleached white tests are fine to keep. A brown, fuzzy one is alive — put it back in the water.
How to tell it apart
- Thick, heavy, up to five inches across
- One elongated keyhole slot near the rear
- Notches cut into the margin instead of full slots
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for sand dollars. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Anclote Key Preserve State Park · Tarpon Springs
- Beer Can Island (Greer Island) · Longboat Key
- Boca Grande Public Beach · Boca Grande
- Cayo Costa State Park · Cayo Costa
- Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park · St. George Island
- Fort De Soto North Beach · Tierra Verde
- Keewaydin Island · Naples
- North Captiva Island Beach · North Captiva
- T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park · Port St. Joe
- Tarpon Bay Road Beach · Sanibel
- Tigertail Beach · Marco Island
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut ranks the likely matches with a confidence read, then logs it to your collection with the beach and date.
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More sand dollars in the field guide
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