Lettered Olive
Oliva sayana
Also known as Americoliva sayana
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
Photo: Thomas Irvine via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · cropped & resized · source
A slender, highly glossy cylinder covered in fine zigzag markings.
- Typical size
- 2 to 3 inches
- How often it turns up
- Common
- Collecting
- Usually legal to collect
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Empty shells only.
No hazard.
How to tell it apart
- High gloss, almost polished, even when fresh
- Narrow cylinder with a very short spire
- Fine brown zigzag lines
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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Commonly confused with
Alphabet ConeConus spurius
Cones have a flat stepped top and a wide shoulder. Olives are narrow cylinders with a very short spire and a high gloss.
Variable Dwarf OliveOlivella pusilla
The dwarf olive stays under half an inch; the lettered olive grows to 2–3 inches.
More shells in the field guide
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