False Angel Wing
Petricolaria pholadiformis
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A smaller, sturdier white bivalve often mistaken for a true angel wing, with coarser ribs.
- Typical size
- 1.5–3 in
- How often it turns up
- Fairly 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
- White with coarse radial ribs near the front
- Shorter and thicker than a true angel wing
- Under three inches
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for shells. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Anclote Key Preserve State Park · Tarpon Springs
- Bean Point · Anna Maria
- Beer Can Island (Greer Island) · Longboat Key
- Boca Grande Public Beach · Boca Grande
- Bowman's Beach · Sanibel
- Captiva Beach · Captiva
- Cayo Costa State Park · Cayo Costa
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park · Naples
- Don Pedro Island State Park · Cape Haze
- Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park · St. George Island
- Gasparilla Island State Park · Boca Grande
- Gulfside City Park (Algiers Beach) · Sanibel
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.
Browsing beaches and the full field guide is free. A free account logs unlimited finds and gives you three photo identifications a day.
More shells in the field guide
Get Florida beachcombing tips
Occasional emails: what's washing up, shelling tips and new BeachNut features. No spam, unsubscribe any time.