Seashells of North America: A Guide to Field Identification

R. Tucker Abbott

Macmillan, Apr 14, 2001 - Nature - 280 pages

Scoop up plentiful Cockles on Eastern beaches. Spy a fabulous Emperor Helmet in Southern Florida. Find a Red Chiton on the Pacific shore. The coasts of North America yield a wondrous variety of shells, from the majestic Conch to tiny Bittium. This beautifully illustrated guide helps both the novice and experienced shell hunter distinguish between similar varieties and find the glorious specimens that become a collection's prize.

-Native varieties and important introduced species
-Expert tips on cleaning and preservation
-Common and scientific names
-Convenient measuring rules...and more!!

Contents

• How to Use This Book: 5
• What Is a Mollusk?: 7
• Major Groups of Mollusks: 8
• Evolutionary History: 14
• Reproduction: 16
• Development: 17
• Growth: 19
• Sexuality: 20
• Egg Protection: 21
• Shell Structure and Pigmentation: 22
• Feeding: 24
• Locomotion: 26
• Nervous System and Sense Organs: 27
• Commensalism and Parasitism: 28
• Marine Communities: 29
• Environmental Niches: 30
• Dispersal and Abundance: 32
• Introduced Species: 33
• Marine Faunal Provinces: 34
• Guide to Collecting Areas: 38
• Collecting Mollusks: 40
• Cleaning and Preserving: 42
• The Shell Collection: 44
• Studying and Observing Mollusks: 46
• Marine Aquariums for Mollusks: 47
• Nomenclature and Classification: 48
• Identification: 49
• CLASS GASTROPODA Univalves: 50
• Glossary: 51
• Slit Shells Abalones and Keyhole Limpets: 52
• True Limpets: 64
• Tops Turbans Pheosants and Nerites: 68
• Periwinkles Turritellas and Worm Shells: 80
• Caecums Sundials Planaxis: 86
• Horn Shells Ceriths Bittiums and Triforas: 88
• Janthina Snails and Wentletraps: 92
• Hoof CupandSaucer and Slipper Shells: 98
• Conchs Trivias and Cowries: 104
• Moon Snails Bonnets and Helmets: 112
• Tritons Frog Fig Tuns Murex and Drills: 118
• Dove Shells Whelks and Mud Snails: 130
• Horse Conchs Tulip Conchs Tulip Conchs and Spindles: 144
• Olives Vases and Miters: 148
• Volutes Nutmegs and Marginellas: 152
• Cones Augers and Turrids: 160
• Bubble Shells Sea Hares and Pyrams: 170
• Pteropods and Nudibranchs: 176
• CLASS AMPHINEURA Chitons: 182
• CLASS SCAPHOPODA Tusk Shells: 186
• CLASS BIVALVIA Bivalves: 188
• Awning Clams and Nut Clams: 190
• Arks: 192
• Bittersweet Clams: 196
• Mussels Pearl Oysters Pens and Scallops: 198
• Thorny Oysters Limas Jingles and Edible Oysters: 212
• Astartes Carditos Lucine and Charmas: 216
• Jewel Boxes: 224
• Cockles Venus CLams and False Angel Wings: 226
• Tellins Macomas Semeles and Donax Clams: 238
• Sanguin Jackknife Razor and Surf Clams: 250
• Softshell Clams Angel Wings and Piddocks: 256
• Wood Borers and Shipworms: 260
• Pandora Spoon and Dipper Clams: 262
• CLASS CEPHALOPODA Octopus squids: 264
• Argonouts Paper Nautilus and Spirula: 266
• Squids: 268
• BIBLIOGRAPHY: 270
• INDEX: 272

About the author

R. Tucker Abbott is a contributor to several Golden Field Guides. Herbert S. Zim was born in 1909 in New York City. He was a naturalist, author, editor and also known as the fonder and editor in chief of the Golden Guides series of nature books. Zim wrote or edited more than one hundred scientific books, and in a thirty-year career teaching in the public schools introduced laboratory instruction into elementary school science. He is best known as the founder in 1945, of the Golden Guides, pocket-size introductions for children to such subjects as fossils, zoology, microscopy, rocks and minerals, codes and secret writings, trees, wildflowers, dinosaurs, navigation and more. He was the sole or co-author for many of the books, which were valued for their clarity, accuracy and attractive presentation helped by the illustrations of James Gordon Irving. He continued to work on the Golden Guides series until Alzheimer's disease forced him to slow down in the 1990s. He died in 1994 at Plantation Key, Florida. George Sandstrom contributed to nature guides from Golden Guides and St. Martin's Press, including Rocks and Minerals.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Seashells of North America: A Guide to Field Identification; Golden Field Guide f/St. Martin's Press; Golden field guide series
• Author: R. Tucker Abbott
• Editor: Herbert S. Zim
• Illustrated by: George F. Sandström
• Edition: illustrated, reprint, revised
• Publisher: Macmillan, 2001
• ISBN: 1582381259, 9781582381251
• Length: 280 pages
• Subjects: Nature / Animals / Marine Life; Nature / Seashells; Science / Life Sciences / Marine Biology