If you visit Galveston's beaches, please do not take shells that have live animals in them. Some say that the morning is the best time for shell collecting while others believe that the perfect time is right after a storm. To help our friends identify seashells found in the Galveston Bay Area, we have designed these web pages. Compare the shell that you have to the photos of the shells in our web collection. It will be helpful to decide if you have found a univalve or a bivalve.
Univalves are the shells of gastropods.
They are one piece and usually have a spiral. They are assymetrical. Examples are conches and whelks. Bivalves have two distinct shells joined by a ligament. Clams and oysters are examples of bivalves.