Florida Horse Conch
Triplofusus giganteus
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
Photo: Sinéad Tuttle-Lerner via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · cropped & resized · source
Florida's state shell and the largest gastropod in American waters, a heavy orange-mouthed spindle that beachcombers dream about finding whole.
- Typical size
- 6–24 in (rarely to 2 ft)
- How often it turns up
- Uncommon whole and adult; juveniles more frequent
- Collecting
- Restricted
- Handling
- Handle with care
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.
Check for a living snail before handling. Leave it in place if occupied; rough edges or spines can scratch.
How to tell it apart
- Tall spindle shape with strong shoulder knobs
- Bright orange aperture in fresh shells
- Adults commonly over 12 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.
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More shells in the field guide
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