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Quiz: What do you know about seashells?

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What Do You Know About Seashells?

Seashells are one of the most popular items to collect and if you are lucky enough to live near the ocean you might have a collection sitting in a basket or jar someplace, but what do you really know about them? Most of us know a starfish (sea star actually) from a sand dollar, but what about those other beach treasures such as the gastropods and bivalves? I am not a scientist and just recently began to collect this information myself, so maybe you already know a lot more than I do. Take my two short quizes on this page and test your knowledge and if you want to learn more check out the links to my seashell information pages at the end of the page.

Pretty Tropical Seashells

From the Florida gulf and Atlantic coasts

Can you name the shells and echinoderms in this photograph? This is one of my pictures of some of the shells I have in my collection. Among the white sand dollars, there is a lightning whelk, a sundial, wentletrap, auger, naticas, olive shells, worm shells and others. A couple of years ago I knew nothing about shells except that I loved to collect them. I didn't know which ones were rare and which were plentiful or how to clean them once I found them. Maybe you know a lot more than I do and this page is for fun with a little learning thrown in.
Have you ever wondered what used to live inside that pretty shell? It was once a home for a mollusk - and if you can see that he still occupies the shell, then please don't take it home with you!

Beach Shells Photography Postcards postcard
Beach Shells Photography Postcards by millhill
Browse Seashells Postcards

What do you know about seashells?

Answer these 10 quick questions and find out

Was this quiz too easy?

Please post your results...no one will know! Unless you'd like to brag in the comment section below.

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Questions About Seashells and The Tropics

Take my second quiz and see how you do.

All of the answers here relate to the writings on my Seashells by Millhill blog and Squidoo pages where I write about shells, Florida, vacationing, beaches and most anything tropical.

These Links Are Related To the Quiz Above

For more information read the related articles

Rip Current Safety
Info about rip currents and safety while swimming
The Wandering Meatloaf Seashell
The giant Pacific Chiton is also known by some as the wandering meatloaf because of it's brown color and large size.
The Scotch Bonnet Seashell
All about the Scotch Bonnet
The Living Chambered Nautilus
Interesting facts in this blog post about the Chambered Nautilus mollusk.

Univalves and Bivalves

Simply speaking, a univalve shell is in all one section and a bivalve is a shell with two sections and a hinge of sorts that holds them together.

Examples of univalves would be the conchs and cones, olives, helmets and whelks.

Examples of bivalves would be clams, oysters, cockles and jingle shells, to name a few.

The Turkey Wing Shell is a Bivalve 

This Florida Lightning Whelk is a Univalve

Basically it's a shell without two parts - not hinged

Lightning Whelk Photography Poster print

Tell me about your seashells

  • glockr May 3, 2012 @ 10:03 am | delete
    When I was very young my Grandma lived by the ocean and we'd go to the beach looking for sea shells whenever we visited her. Very nicely done lens:)
  • cmadden Apr 12, 2012 @ 11:52 am | delete
    Fun and informative!
  • Gift_Bird Oct 5, 2011 @ 11:41 pm | delete
    That was hard!
  • gherishjhoven Sep 14, 2011 @ 2:32 am | delete
    I love to see seashell around... I like this lens... :)
  • LKW31 Jul 14, 2011 @ 1:59 pm | delete
    Beautiful photos of shells and really fun quizzes! I never realised shells could be so interesting, thank you for this great lens!
  • catherinelovestv Jun 25, 2011 @ 4:02 am | delete
    oh dear, 30%
  • RenaissanceWoman2010 Apr 17, 2011 @ 6:51 pm | delete
    I have many shell treasures from when I lived on Padre Island in Texas. I love going shelling!
  • Cheryl57 Jan 26, 2011 @ 10:28 am | delete
    I used to live in Fort Myers, FL; I miss beach-combing, doing the Sanibel Shuffle, sigh.
  • poutine Jan 21, 2011 @ 4:35 pm | delete
    Did very poorly in your quiz.

    I do not live near an ocean, so I don't see them very often.
  • alan Jan 3, 2011 @ 4:21 am | delete
    have some NZ golden flutes years ago they were priced at over $100.so they must be worth more now.
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Sea Cookie Sand Dollar 

Read More About The Sand Dollar

Including lots of photos

Sand dollars are not shells, but are interesting marine life that is collected just like sea shells. In fact, since they are delicate creatures, they are considered prized finds most of the time, when found whole.
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Seashells by Millhill Blog

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More Pages About Tropical Seashells

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Have You Ever Heard of This Endangered Animal?

The lens below brings awareness the plight of the Vaquita porpoise

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More Beach Related Links

These are all my Squidoo pages about sea shells

1

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Seashell Gifts and Greetings

Seashells are beautiful to collect and make unique more...3 points

2

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Sand Dollars

When you go to the beach, what is the one thing yo more...2 points

3

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Beach Shells From Florida

I lived in Florida for many years and one of the g more...2 points

4

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Beach Wedding Table Names

Beach weddings can be such fun. Although I have ne more...2 points

5

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Seashell Identification

Collecting seashells is a favorite pastime and eve more...1 point

6

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http://www.squidoo.com/seashell-identification-starfish

Would you ever believe that there were so many dif more...1 point

7

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http://www.squidoo.com/seashell-wedding

Seashell wedding invitations, stickers, favor tags more...1 point

8

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http://www.squidoo.com/seashell-coloring-page

Free, printable coloring pages for personal and ed more...1 point

9

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http://www.squidoo.com/lettered-olive-shells

The Olive shells are easy to spot because of their more...1 point

10

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Quiz: What do you know about seashells?

Seashells are one of the most popular items to col more...1 point

created by dustytoes

Having fun at Squidoo!

Who is Dustytoes?

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Sea Squirts Poster

Available in colossal size too

Ascidiacea (Sea Squirts), Ernst Haeckel print
Ascidiacea (Sea Squirts), Ernst Haeckel

by

dustytoes

I've been collecting seashells for years and had never given much thought to them until recently. Find out here what I've learned and please share your... more »

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