Can You Identify These Mysteries?


 

Dear visitors, Due to an ongoing, serious illness at this time, I will not be keeping this page up for 2012.

 

 

If you have a shell or a shell fossil at home and you just can't place an identification label to it, or is your snail doing something and you're not to sure just what, here's where you might get some help. I am but an amateur collector myself, but there are many good conchologists and malacologists that may be willing to help you.

Send your photos and collection data, if you have any, to me, Avril Bourquin . I will set up a file page for your shell or fossil shell then people can contact you personally in regards to their idea as to your shells proper identification. Please try to keep your jpg files small.

This kind of service is also available from some other GREAT shell collectors and dealers on their web sites. You may wish to seek out their assistance as well. Contact information forsome of these sites and people is located at the very bottom of this page.

Good luck in getting that definitive identification on your treasured shell or shell fossil.

_________________________________________

 

 

 

2011

Reference
Number
Owner &
Email
Shell / Fossil information
Date
Listed
View
Page
Most likely ID
       
Click on Picture
  
1.
 Joe This "shell" is 95 cm in length, 6.25 cm diameter at large opening and 2.5 cm diameter at small end Jan. 08
 
2
Desiree Mabibi, South Africa Jan. 08
 
           
           
           
           

 

 

 

2010

Reference
Number
Owner &
Email
Shell / Fossil information
Date
Listed
View
Page
Most likely ID
       
Click on Picture
  
12
 Kandi Disney, Oklahoma Nov. 21
 
11
 Andrea central Florida ??? fossil
definitely NOT a mollusc		 Nov. 02
innards of a catalytic converter :-)
10
 Peter France Nov. 02
Pleurotomariid (slit shell) internal mold, probably Mesozoic
9
 Chuck Gore Virginia, West Virginia Nov. 02
spiriferid brachiopods - palaeozoic
8
 Mark Cape May, NJ Nov. 02
spiriferid brachiopods - palaeozoic
7
 Joe West Texas fossils Nov. 02
paleozoic brachiopods
6
 Harrison Mexican Shells Nov. 02
 
5
 Grégory Fossil from France Nov. 02
possible ear bone from a cetacean (whale?)
4
 Roberto Mexican fossil Nov. 02
 
3
 Janet Michigan Fossil Nov. 02
segment of an ammonoid shell
2
 Dick Texas fossil Nov. 02
Cretaceous gryphaeid 'oyster'
1
 Richard W. Milford on sea, England Feb 03
whelks (Family - Buccinidae)

 

Identification of Shells: 
Sites to help you out:

 

 

2009

Reference
Number
Owner &
Email
Shell / Fossil information
Date
Listed
View
Page
Most likely ID
       
Click on Picture
  
19
 Vanessa Pomene estuary in Mozambique Dec.29
Euselenops luniceps (Cuvier, 1817
18
 Juergen Santiago de Chile Dec.29
Concholepas concholepas (Bruguière, 1792)
17
 Daniel Altamont, California, fossil Dec.29
Fossil Inoceramus
16
 Rick Burnham, Me fossil Dec.29
Paleozoic brachiopods
15
 Richard O. Tennessee fossil Dec.28 large half whorl of an ammonite
14
 Andrew It's from the late Eocene of NZ, the only specimen known Dec.28
 
13
 Andrew Generic placements are what I need for the fossils; genus/species for
the "Volutomitra"
 Dec. 14  
12
 Brian French terrestrial Sept. 28
Helicigona lapicida
11
 Nathan

Shell Fossils
Kodik Island, Alaska

 Sept. 21
Mytilus middendorff Grewingk
10
 Sandy Texas Fossil gastropod Sept. 21
ammonite (Cretaceous)
9
 Reneé Fossil bivalve Sept. 21
Ostrea sinuosa Rogers and Rogers, 1837
8
 Sonia Spanish shell-inlaid paintings Sept. 21
?? polished pearl oysters, Pinctada or Pteria.
7
 Ron Mystery fossil  
Probably a pteriomorph or Inoceramidae
bivalve
6
David Peruvian fossil  
Mytilidae: ?Brachidontes species
5
 Krisitn Porter, WA fossils  
late Miocene or early Pliocene age molluscan fossils
4
 Steve California beach fossils  
 
3
 Gary Tennessee fossil  
 
2
 Kendra Shell Beach, CA
March 2009
Penitella penita (Conrad, 1837)
1
 Richard Crystal Snail from Palau (fossil)
Feb 15, 2009
Magilus antiquus
Family Coralliophilidae

2008

Reference
Number
Owner &
Email
Shell / Fossil information
Date
Listed
View
Page
Most likely ID
       
Click on Picture
  
20.
 Darren &Thomas Mystery Fossil Oct. 20,
2008
Gryphaea
Fossil oyster
19.
 Marc Mystery Fossil
Oct. 13,
2008
Campanile giganteum
18.
 RichardC Himalayas in Nepal
Oct. 13,
2008
columella of the present day living species Turbinella pyrum L
17.
 Dave Fossils from South Dakota, near Rapid City
Oct. 13,
2008
  
16.
 Rokkaku Mystery fossils
Lake Waccamaw,North Carolina
Oct. 13,
2008
internal mold of a Crepidula species
15.
 Ian Main fossil
Oct. 13,
2008
Brachiopod in Spiriferoidea, Paleozoic to Jurassic
14.
 Sammy Mystery fossil
Oct. 13,
2008
Steinkern of unidentifiable gastropod
13.
 Michael Mystery fossil
Oct. 13,
2008
Steinkern of unidentifiable gastropod or an oyster Gryphaea
12.
 Max fossil s from South Florida
Oct. 13,
2008
Ice Age fossil shells, probably Ft. Thompson Formation
11.
 Richard Missouri Fossil
Oct. 13,
2008
Overlapping (compound) concretions
10.
MI Fossil
Oct. 13,
2008
internal mold of a (spiriferoid?) brachiopod
9.
 Missing        
8.
Misc. Johnson Atoll Shells
Oct. 14
2008
  
7.
Information needed on Otala lactea
Oct. 14
2008
 Information needed on
Otala lactea
6.
Mystery California Marine Critter
Oct. 14
2008
Cryptochiton stelleri (Middendorff, 1847)
5.
Mystery MicroMarine critter
Oct. 14
2008
 
4.
Mystery terrestrial
Oct. 14
2008
Helix (Cornu) aspersa
3.
Mystery augur
Oct. 14
2008
Turbonilla carolinana
(Holmes 1859)
2.
Mystery Melo
Oct. 14
2008
juvenile Melo melo
1.
Mystery Haliotis
Oct. 14
2008
Haliotis rubiginosa

2004-2008

Owner &
Email
Shell / Fossil information
Date
Listed
View
Page
Most likely ID
 
Shawn fossil from ST. Pete, FL
April 13, 2008
See discussions on page
Eduardo cypraea: collected in the north of Peru, border to Ecuador.
April 12, 2008
Cypraea robertsi.
Linnaeus, 1758
Jessica Fossil
April 12, 2008
See discussions on page
Herb Strange octopi behavior
April 07, 2008
 
Kathy Question: Fossil vs bleached shell
April 07, 2008
See discussions on page
Rob Terrestrial from Atlanta, Georgia
March 24 , 2008
 Mesodon thyroides Say,1816
Julio a small fossil shell I found near Lander, Wyoming.
March 24 , 2008


Fossil

  
Joel This fossil was found in my friends yard in Tulsa, Oklahoma
March 24 , 2008
 spiriferid brachiopod fossil
Don Fossil shell was found in savannah tn
Feb. 03, 2008
 Exogyra or other Gryphaeidae (Ostreoidea)
Bud Found this in Uwharrie N.C.
Feb. 03, 2008
 Decalcified bivalve in concretion
Arief I just have one worm fossil on coral rock
Feb. 03, 2008
 Magilus antiquus
Montfort, 1810
Colby Western Washington near Seattle
Dec. 11, 2007
 crepidulids
Mark California fossil
Nov. 26,2007
 fossil ammonite
Robert North Bexar County Texas
Nov. 21,2007
 internal mold or steinkern
??Cardiidae
Ertunc fossil from Izmir, Turkey
Nov. 21,2007
 ? Pectinidae fossil
Jamshed south Yeoman fossil bivalve
Nov. 21,2007
? Corbulidae
Brett Tennessee fossil
Oct. 28 , 2007
 ? bellerophontid.
fossil
Martí Orta Peruvian amazon bivalve
Sept. 01, 2007
 Probably:
Anodontites trapezialis
( Lamarck, 1819).
Jeremy Confer California fossil
Sept. 01, 2007
 Dendostrea vespertina (Conrad)
Julio Palacios K. Peru gastropod
Sept. 01, 2007
 juvenile Macrocypraea cervus (Linnaeus, 1771)
Paul Gephart Georgia Fossil Gastropod Mystery
Aug. 18 , 2007
 Pleurocera canaliculata and Pleurocera alveare
John Breed Coulsdon Surrey, UK,
terrestrial white snail
Aug. 18 , 2007
  
Ozzie North Carolina fossil gastropod
Aug. 18 , 2007
 Ecphora species, possibly
E. quadricostata (Say)
Simon
Terrestrial/s From Greece
Aug. 01 , 2007
Greek Terrestrial		 Theba pisana
Nathalie From Spain
June 26, 2007
 Mitra zonata Marryat, 1818
Lilka Ontario Canada fossil
June 23, 2007

Brachiopod

species ??
Alexandra Mystery egg capsules from Portugal
May 13, 2007

?? Nasa

eggs of Nassarius reticulatus, the netted dog whelk in English
John Cyprus terrestrial
May 13, 2007
  
Marie Mystery Oyster
May 13, 2007
 very worn specimens of Ostrea edulis

johanna

 A question on several Puto Rican terresetrail snails.
May 5 , 2007
  

Steve and Deb

 Three Mysteries
April 7, 2007
 See Page
Donna ??? Fossil Bivalve
March 26, 2007
 purple-hinged rock scallop, Crassadoma gigantea
Phil Xenophora help needed
March 25, 2007
  
Beverly Pacific Northwest mystery  

?

 Strombus from somebody's holiday most likely
Sandie British Isles sea shells    
Nadja I found this shell in a soil sample from the Sudanese part of the Libyan Desert. It is most likely of mid-Holocene age.
Nov. 13, 2006
???
Barleeia Species
Dana Texas terrestrial
Nov. 13, 2006
 
Dan Terrestrials from Sicily
Nov. 13, 2006
Identified
Willem/Avril  
Nov. 13, 2006
See page for possible IDs
Josh Fiji and Tonga molluscs
Nov. 13, 2006
  
Kim Bivalve
Nov. 13, 2006
Anadontia alba or philippiana
Simon UK Fossil
Sept. 20, 2006
  
Arthur Mystery Cave Snails
Sept. 13, 2006
  
Ed Michigan or Florida fossil
Sept. 13, 2006
 spiriferid brachiopod
Terri Texas Fossil
Sept. 10, 2006
 internal molds of various ammonites
Jack Mystery fossil from Europe
Sept. 10, 2006

probably a neogastropod.

Pleurotomarriidae indeterminable.
David Mystery bivalve
August 26, 2006
 Probably
Paphia lirata
Gunnar Sinistral fossils
August 09, 2006
 See page for probable Ids
Craig Cornwall, UK mystery
August 09, 2006
Goose Barnacle
Kumar fossil gastropod (Himalayas) - if possible to the generic level, otherwise the family. It comes from Eocene sediments. It is about 5.5 cm long.
July 16, 2006
 Possibly
(Family Muricidae), subfamily Thaidinae
Robbert 3 cm (1.2 inches), and I bought it in a shop in Holland.The shell itself has crystallized into what I think is quartz. It came with zero information, unfortunately.
July 09, 2006
  
Gary N.E. Wyoming, USA
Fossil
June 22, 2006
 ammonites, probably Baculites spp
Nancy North Carolina gastropod
June19, 2006
 Florida Horse Conch - Triplofusus gigantea
 ( kiener, 1840)
Rick Harbo Trinidad shells
May 25, 2006
 1. Cassis tuberosa Linne, 1758

2. Turbo marmoratus Linne, 1758
George Thai Mussels
May 25, 2006
 
Alan UK Terrestrial
May 25, 2006
 Cornu aspersum (Muller, 1774)
Susanna California Terrestrial
May 25, 2006
 Discus rotundatus (Muller, 1774)
Reed New York Fossil
May 25, 2006
 spiriferid brachiopod
Savannah Mystery Florida Fossil
April 29, 2006
 sharks veretbra encased in a stony material
John Abba Bali Terrestrial
April 15, 2006
 ??? Asperitas rareguttata crebriguttata (von Martens, 1867).
Kawika Hawaiian cowry
April 15, 2006
Lyncina lynx
George The turrid comes from Sarawak
March 19, 2006
  
The exposed bit of the shell is about 1cm across. We found the rock in eastern Nebraska, but we have no idea where it came from.
March 12, 2006
 Bivalve fossil
Donna
 Found on a Florida Beach
March 12, 2006
 Velella velella
Enzo Looking for information
Epitonium dendrophyllae
March 08 , 2006
 Epitonium dendrophylliae
Laurie The stone about 4 inches by 5 inches...
March 03 , 2006

Fossil

 Crinoid fragment
Chris My science students and I are mystified by this fossil: could it be shells?
March 03 , 2006


Fossil

 
Wolfgang gastropod I need help identifying
Dec. 28, 2005
 Pararetifusus dedonderi
Roger Mystery Fossil
Nov. 30 , 2005
Cyclophorus aurantiacus or Cyclophorus malayanus
Wolfgang 5 gastropods I need help identifying
Nov. 30 , 2005
  
Wolfgang 2 turrids I need help identifying
Nov. 20 , 2005
  
Dan Mystery Engravings
Oct. 24, 2005
  
Wolfgang I have attached a picture of a Turrid (Drillia/Inquisitor) I can not identify.
Oct. 16, 2005
Vexitoma regia (Reeve, 1842)
Russ a turrid, 25mm, From the Somosomo Strait near Taveuni Fiji, collected in a sandy area but,under a rock, in 3 ft of water in 1995.
Oct. 10, 2005
Lophiotoma abbreviata (Reeve, 1843)
PeterJ Ziggurat fossils
Oct. 06, 2005
 1. Melanopsis?
2. Melaniidae
Deane ??? arene
Oct. 06, 2005
 Arene sp.
Georgia I dug this fossil up last month in Rugby Warwickshire (only 10 miles from the most centrally inland point in UK.
Oct. 06, 2005
 Probably Veneridae
Rick Confirmation required
Oct. 06, 2005
 Nucella lamellosa
PeterJ Ziggurat fossils    
lhill horn pearls: Comments from interested persons required
Oct. 06, 2005
  
James Fossil from Puget Sound, Wash., USA
Sept. 18, 2005
gastropod, possibly Buccinidae, probably Eocene
Enzo Italian uunionid
Aug. 12 , 2005
Sinanodonta woodiana
(Lea, 1834)
William

Wyoming Fossils

new info added Oct 06, 2005
Aug. 12 , 2005
see page
Juan Florida Fossil
Aug. 02 , 2005
Strombus sp and colonial hexacoral
Jim Yemen fossils
Aug. 02 , 2005
see page for IDs
Diane Fossils
July, 11, 2005

Fossils
Turritella peninsularis Anderson & Hanna, 1935
TONI Pet cerithium
June, 18, 2005
 Batillaria minima (Gmelin, 1791).
Don Guam condiae
June, 18, 2005
  
Ian I recently snapped a photo of a crazy looking purple snail along the Northern
California coast.
April 11,2005
Cornu aspersum or more commonly know as The brown garden snail (Helix aspersa)
Tom Mystery animal from 200m depth of southwester Taiwan
January 22, 2005
 a holothurian of the family Psolidae
Avril Fossils from south-eastern British Columbia
January 22, 2005
 brachiopods
Jennifer Buffalo, NY pet snails, Simon and Garfunkel need to be identified
Dec. 05, 2004
 Grovesnail
Cepaea nemoralis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rich Mystery fossils
Nov. 15 , 2004
 spiriferid brachiopods
The attached was found by me in a bunch of dredged shells in Amuay, Paraguana Peninsula, Venezuela last month.
Sept. 18 , 2004
"Texas Longhorn"
Bryozoa, genus Hippoporidra, species ??
hermitcrab-associate bryozoan
Mystery Terrestrial egg cases.
Seattle Washington
Sept. 16 , 2004
Fungi
Cyathus stercoreus
This little guy is very common in my garden in Los Angeles, California
August 24, 2004
 Succinea unicolor
Unknown terrestrial snail
Location: Manchester, England
Size: 3 inches
August 12,
2004
Cornu aspersum (Helix aspersa)
This fresh-water snail and attached barnacle was purchased from a pet shop in New York.
August 09,
2004
Vitta usnea (Röding, 1798)
rock with shell fossils on a small island by Puerto Rico.
July 14 , 2004
Strombus gigas
fossil
It measures 85mm long, 50mm wide and about 41mm high.
July 14 , 2004
juvenile
Cypraea cervus
collected
on a beach near Neah Bay, BC, Canada.
June 18 , 2004
egg case is from Nassarius fossatus
Fossils and pearls
May 2, 2004
brachiopod
located at an elevation of about 2,000 meters on a mountain in Central Asia.
April 06,
2004
Cretaceous member of Trigoniidae
The two latirus shells were collected by Ted K.40 feet off of West End, Roatan Island, Honduras 1985. We are trying to identify which species it is.
March 25, 2004
 
Could you please help me identify this shell I find in the archaeological deposits of Niah Cave, Sarawak, N. Borneo.
Feb. 23, 2004
species of Paludomus (Fam. Pleuroceridae, suffamily Paludominae)
These tubes are 2mm long and are from shell grit fround on Kauai, Hawaii.
January 17, 2004
Caecum sepimentum de Folin, 1867

Syn: Caecum arcuatum de Folin, 1867
Cypraea from Israel
January 12, 2004
Cypraea macandrewi
Found in a sand sample from Hawaii
January 10, 2004
echinoderm ossicle



Egg cases on deep water gastropods

January 08, 2004
  
This small rock was found on a large sandy beach on Kauai (West End).
I
January 06, 2004
  
Sand Egg Collars - Species?
from Florida
January 04, 2004
Neverita duplicatus
(Say, 1822)
Sand egg collar
Eulimidae from Hawaii
December 28
  
Triphorridae from Hawaii
December 28
  

 

 

Identification of Shells: 
Sites to help you out:

 

 


This is a new counter system set up by Globel on
December 01, 2002