From Ancient Times Through Today Seashells Are Found All Around The World And Used For Many Different Things
Did you know that there are millions of seashells with lots of different uses? You can find seashells all around the world! I think seashells are really cool and I love collecting them. Famous people such as Mary Anne Evans (English Novelist), The King of Poland, and Sir Thomas Lipton (founder of Lipton tea) were also seashell collectors. Most of the seashells get their names by what they look like. For example, the Shark Eye shell really looks like a shark eye and the Turkey Wing shell looks like a turkey wing. There are millions of different seashells with different names such as: Baby’s Ear, Angel Wing, Mermaid Toenail, Lion’s Paw and Kitten’s Paw. Seashells are the home to marine animals called mollusks. When a mollusk dies or grows out of its shell it leaves the shell behind. Some kinds of mollusks are clams, snails, mussels, and octopuses. Seashells are mainly made up of calcium and hard minerals like our bones. Many people study mollusks and their shells they can tell a lot about the mollusk by the way the shell looks. The scientific word for this study is called Conchology, the people who do the studying are called Conchologists. Seashells come in all different colors, shapes, and sizes. The shape and size comes from how big or small the mollusk is and the color comes from what the mollusks eats. For example, if the mollusk eats green seaweed then its shell will be that color. A seashell can loose its color when the mollusk dies or if it is in the sun for to long. Seashells can be found all around the world. You can find them on sandy beaches, islands, shorelines, ocean floors, and even underground buried in the sand or dirt. Did you know that the Gulf of Mexico has over four hundred different types of shells? Florida is known to have the most seashells and you can find lots of unique and rare shells on the islands in Florida. One of the smallest seashells I found during my research was the Lliosena. This shell is very small, it is only about 3 millimeters. One of the biggest seashells is the Tridacna Gigas, it is a giant clam shell and could be up to 3 feet or more. Wow that’s a big shell! Seashells are divided into five main groups. The five groups are: Gastropods- these are univalve shells, they one made up of one shell and snails live in these shells. Bivalves- these shells have two halves or pieces and clams, oysters, and scallops live in these shells. Scaphopod- these are tooth shells that are hollow and open on both ends. They are usually found on ocean floors. Cephalopod- these shells are home to squid and octopuses. They are spoungy and you can find them in the Western Pacific Ocean. Chitons- these shells are hard and white and are made of eight separate shell plates that is protected by a girdle. After the mollusk dies the shell falls apart. If you are a seashell collector, some of the best places to find unique shells are on the beaches of Florida, Hawaii, Texas, California, Washington, and South Carolina. On these beaches you can find all different kinds of shells such as: Star limpets, black onyx cowries, sand dollars, and many more. Some beaches have rules that don’t allow you to take shells off the beach but you can buy them from the gift shop. Seashells are used for many different things. Some people like to collect them or decorate their homes with them. Shells are also used in painting and crafting and used to make jewelry. Back in the ancient roman times they used shells as money or for trading. On some islands people use shells as fishing lures to catch fish. The islanders also use the bigger cone shells as horns at their ceremonies. There was a lot of interesting things I learned about seashells. For example, did you know that every March Sanibel Island in Florida has a seashell fair? And on this island you can dig anywhere and find shells. I also learned that when the hermit crab out grows its shell it steals another shell that’s just laying around. I think that’s funny! I would probably laugh if I seen the crab walking around with a shell that didn’t fit. Seashells are found all around the world and you can find them on just about any beaches. There are over a million types of seashells and they are all different sizes and shapes. Each shell is unique and can tell a lot about the mollusk that lived inside it. Each shell has different textures and ridges, some even have holes in it because the mollusk needed to get food in and out the shell. Next time you are on a beach pick up a seashell and look at it but if the mollusk is still in it leave it alone and pick another one. By Aleecia Nocifera