alternate tellin Tellina alternata (Say)
Description: (2 ½ inches) Solid, elliptical shell (longer than high, not very wide). Subcentral beak. Many concentric lines, fine but prominent. Shell round in front and angular in back.
Color: Shiny white exterior, sometimes pinkish or yellowish. White interior. Yellow periostracum.
Habitat: Lives in shallow and offshore waters. Frequently washed onto ocean beaches.
Range: North Carolina to Brazil.
Notes: Also called a lined tellin. It feeds on bottom detritus, burrows deep into the sand and has a long siphon. About 16 tellins are known in North Carolina off the coast in the the estuaries. All are much smaller than the great tellin. which may reached 5 inches long.
Source: NC Sea Grant
Seashells of North Carolina Field Guide

Alternate Tellin, 2816 x 2112 pixels 267 K

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Alternate Tellin