Newest Sunset Beach Shell Species
Since June 2008 I have been collecting mollusks at one spot on the Eastern point of Sunset Beach. Most of them are in seaweed or seadrift. Instructions for finding shells are on my website at http://okeefes.org/Barrier_Islands/Sunset_Beach/Shells/Sunset_Beach_Shells..htm I can assure you that finding these shells is easy. I have many physical challenges and was out of commission completely for three of those months. If I could find 183 species, you also can. Please understand that many of them are microshells. I have photos of many of them on this webpage: http://okeefes.org/Mollusks/Photos_in_Phylogenetic_Order/Photos_in_Phylogenetic_Order.htm
Last Wednesday, December 2, we had a powerful storm. In the two days afterwards I found hundreds of Channeled Duckclams, Raeta plicatella, and Disk Dosinia, Dosinia discus.
However, I found two new species. My 182nd species is the Smooth Duckclam, Anatina anatina. It is very similar to the Channeled Duckclam but has flat ridges.
My 183rd species is the Eastern Melampus, Melampus bidentatus. It is 2.5 mm long
Eastrn Melampus
Eastern Melampus
Jo O'Keefe
Wow, I have found many Channeled Duck Clams, but I don’t think I have ever seen a smooth Duck Clam. The Eastern Melampus is amazing. Its looks so fragile. I don’t know how you ever found it in one piece. I live in Tampa and mostly go shelling around the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Good luck!
Thanks for writing. I found a second Smooth Duckclam in better shape that I hope to photograph soon.
Apparently there are thousands of Eastern Melampus in Florida. The species is so evolved that it has pulmonary function.
I have more new species but not yet enough time to photograph them or write posts.
I have a test webpage that shows some of the issues on which I am working and my most recent photos: http://okeefes.org/Mollusks/New_Test_Webpage/new_test_webpage.htm
I hope that link works. If not, copy it to your browser’s address line.
When I was a kid we hunted shells in Sunset Beach. I remember where we hunted was underwater at high tide so all hunting was done during low tide. Is this area still open for hunting and if so could someone please pass along the directions to reach the place? I think it was all the way to the south end of the beach but can’t remember anything else.
My wife and I will be in the area in a couple of weeks.
Thanks
Mike and Deb
The eastern point of Sunset Beach toward Wilmington is covered by high tide twice daily. I find extraordinary invertebrates there, including 197 species of seashells. Today I found an intact dried ray. A few days ago I found a perfect sand dollar less than a half inch wide. Go to my main website, http://www.okeefes.org. Click on Sunset Beach and then on the list of shells. Beneath the list will be precise instructions for finding shells and other invertebrates in sea drift and sea weed. I have found 16 of a species of ark shell that became extinct one to two million years ago. They look like other shells. They are not fossils. Good luck.