angelwing Cyrtopleura costata (Linnaeus)

angelwing Cyrtopleura costata (Linnaeus)
Description: (5 3/4 inches) Fairly large, elongate shell tapers to a rounded point. Strongly resembles the wing of an angel. About 30 sharply beaded ribs. Shell rolls outward on top -- this edge not braced by partitions. Very thin shell breaks easily.
Color: Pure white exterior and interior, occasionally pink at the edges. Grayish periostracum.
Habitat: Lives offshore and in estuaries, burrowed as much as 3 feet deep in mud or clay. Occasionally washed onto beaches.
Range: New Jersey to Brazil.
Notes: This is a popular shell with delicious meat. The pink tinges occur when the animal feeds on a certain type of algae. It moves up and down in its burrows. If dug up, the fragile shell must be placed immediately into a container of water or it will close suddenly and shatter.
Source: NC Sea Grant
Seashells of North Carolina Field Guide

Angel Wing Shells 2816 x 2112 pixels
485 k

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Atlantic mud-piddock, Fallen angelwing Barnea truncata (Say)

Atlantic mud-piddock, Fallen angelwing Barnea truncata (Say)
Description: (2 1/4 inches) Similar to angelwing but with weaker sculpture. One end squared off and other end pointed. Loose accessory plates above the hinge on live specimens.
Color: White exterior and interior.
Habitat: Lives burrowed into mud, clay or softwood. Occasionally washed onto sounds and ocean beaches..
Range: Maine to Brazil.
Notes: Also called a fallen angelwing. This fragile shell is rarely dug from mud without breaking. It burrows deeply and has long, united siphons.
Source: NC Sea Grant
Seashells of North Carolina Field Guide

Fallen Angel Wing 491 k
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Fallen Angel Wing 548 k
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Fallen Angel Wing 469 k
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Fallen Angel Wing 485 k
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Zirfaea crispata (Linne, 1758), the great Piddock. Photo Source: Shell Book, Atlantic, Gulf and Carribean

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false angelwing, Petricola pholadiformis (Lamarck)

False Angel Wing

false angelwing, Petricola pholadiformis (Lamarck)
Description: (2 3/4 inches) Thin, elogate shell resembling a small angelwing but lacks the rolled-out hinge area. Beak at one end of the shell. Strong radial ribbing on the beak end. Teeth on hinge. Deep pallial sinus.
Color: White exterior and interior.
Habitat: Lives in intertidal zone, burrowed into hard clay or peat. Commonly found on sounds and ocean beaches.
Range: Canada to Uruguay.
Notes: It burrows into hard surfaces and has long, partially united siphons.
Source: NC Sea Grant
Seashells of North Carolina Field Guide

False Angel Wing 134 k
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False Angel Wing 102 k
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False Angel Wing 188 k
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Sharon:

I'm really not sure about these shells.  I don't see any wedge piddocks
in there -- I don't see any with the indented radial line that the wedge
piddock has.  Possibly some fallen angelwings, and false angelwings.
Not sure about rupellarias either -- the Atlantic rupellaria grows to
about 1-inch.  What are the sizes of the shells in the bottom 9+ photos?

Your photography is definitely getting better.  Nice that you have a
good camera and that you're learning how to use it!

Terri

> http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/beach_kids/sea_shells/angel_wings/
>
> The Atlantic Rupellaria or Wedge Piddock?
>
> It strongly resembles an angelwing, but it is not the angelwing.

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Terri Kirby Hathaway
Marine Education Specialist
North Carolina Sea Grant
www.ncseagrant.org

Angelwing 383 k
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Angelwing 354 k
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