List of U.S. state shells
This is a list of official state shells for those states of the United States that have chosen to select one as part of their state insignia.[1] In 1965, North Carolina was the first state to designate an official state shell, the Scotch bonnet. Since then, 14 other states have designated an official state shell.
These are seashells, the shells of various marine mollusks including both gastropod and bivalves. Each one was chosen to represent a maritime state, based on the fact that the species occurs in that state and was considered suitable to represent the state, either because of the species' commercial importance as a local seafood item, or because of its beauty, rarity, exceptional size, or other features.
Table
[edit]State | Shell | Image | Year designated |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Johnstone's junonia Scaphella junonia ssp. johnstoneae | ![]() | 1990[2] |
Connecticut | Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica | ![]() | 1989 |
Delaware | Channeled whelk Busycotypus canaliculatus | ![]() | 2014[3] |
Florida | Horse conch Triplofusus papillosus | ![]() | 1969[4] |
Georgia | Knobbed whelk Busycon carica | ![]() | 1987[5] |
Massachusetts | New England Neptune Neptunea lyrata ssp. decemcostata | ![]() | 1987[6] |
Mississippi | Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica | ![]() | 1974[7] |
New Jersey | Knobbed whelk Busycon carica ssp. gmelin | ![]() | 1995[8] |
New York | Bay scallop Argopecten irradians | ![]() | 1988[9] |
North Carolina | Scotch bonnet Semicassis granulata | ![]() | 1965[10] |
Oregon | Oregon hairy triton Fusitriton oregonensis | ![]() | 1989[11] |
Rhode Island | Quahaug Mercenaria mercenaria | ![]() | 1987[12] |
South Carolina | Lettered olive Oliva sayana | ![]() | 1984[13] |
Texas | Lightning whelk Sinistrofulgur perversum ssp. pulleyi | ![]() | 1987[14] |
Virginia | Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica | ![]() | 1974[15] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ List of all state shells http://www.jaxshells.org/listing.htm
- ^ "Alabama Shell". Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History. 2001-07-12. Archived from the original on 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
- ^ "Chapter - Delaware General Assembly".
- ^ "State Shell - Florida Department of State".
- ^ "Government & Politics".
- ^ "Massachusetts Facts Part One: Concise Facts". Secretary of the State of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ "State Symbols". www.ms.gov. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Session Laws of New Jersey". 1995. hdl:10929/50436.
- ^ "NYS Kids Room - State Symbols". www.dos.ny.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07.
- ^ "Official State Symbols of North Carolina". North Carolina State Library. State of North Carolina. Archived from the original on 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
- ^ "Chapter 186".
- ^ "RIGOV".
- ^ "South Carolina State House | South Carolina State Symbols".
- ^ "Texas State Symbols - Texas State Library and Archives Commission | TSLAC".
- ^ "§ 1-510. Official emblems and designations".
External links
[edit]Media related to Mollusca of the United States at Wikimedia Commons