Pitted Murex
Favartia cellulosa
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A small, chalky, rough murex with frilly varices and pitted surfaces.
- Typical size
- 0.5–1 in
- How often it turns up
- Common in shell hash
- Collecting
- Restricted
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Empty shells are fine to keep on most public beaches. Live shelling is banned in Lee County and Florida state parks and needs a fishing license elsewhere — if an animal is inside, put it back.
How to tell it apart
- Grey-white, chalky surface
- Scaly, frilled varices
- Deep pits between spiral cords
- Short, upturned canal
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.
Commonly confused with
Apple MurexPhyllonotus floridanus
Pitted murex stays under an inch and is chalky grey; apple murex is much larger with an orange-brown mouth.
More shells in the field guide
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