Marine invertebrates aren’t nearly as popular as symbols as are birds, mammals, or even insects. Nevertheless, state shells are especially popular among the 50 U.S. states.
Let’s take a brief tour.
National Symbols ˆ
United States ˆ
The symbols below were all named the state shell unless indicated otherwise in the “Designation” column.
| List of State Shells | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Species | Designation | |
| Alabama | Johnstone’s junonia (Scaphella junonia) | 1990 | |
| Connecticut | eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) | Shellfish | 1989 |
| Delaware | channeled whelk (Busycotypus canaliculatus) | 2014 | |
| Florida | horse conch (Pleuroploca gigantea) | 1969 | |
| Georgia | knobbed whelk (Busycon carica) | Seashell | 1987 |
| Kentucky | freshwater pearl (Unionoida) | Gemstone | 1986 |
| Massachusetts | New England Neptune (Neptunea lyrata) | 1987 | |
| Mississippi | oyster shell (Crassostrea virginica) | 1974 | |
| New Jersey | knobbed whelk (Busycon carica) | 1995 | |
| New York | bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) | 1988 | |
| North Carolina | Scotch bonnet (Phalium granulatum) | 1965 | |
| Oregon | Oregon hairy triton (Fusitriton oregonensis) | 1989 | |
| Rhode Island | quahaug (Mercenaria mercenaria) | 1987 | |
| South Carolina | lettered olive (Oliva sayana) | 1984 | |
| Tennessee | Tennessee pearl (Unionoida) | 1979 | |
| Texas | lightning whelk (Busycon perversum) | 1987 | |
| Virginia | oyster shell (Crassostrea virginica) | 1974 | |
| Washington | Ostrea lurida (Ostrea lurida) | Oyster | 2014 |
| Other State Aquatic Invertebrates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Species | Designation | |
| Alabama | brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) | Crustacean | 2015 |
| Delaware | horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) | Marine Animal | 2002 |
| Hawaii | black coral (Antipathidae) | Gem | 1987 |
| Louisiana | crawfish (Cambaridae) | Crustacean | 1983 |
| Maine | Maine lobster (Homarus americanus) | Crustacean | 2016 |
| Maryland | blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) | Crustacean | 1989 |
| Missouri | crayfish (Cambaridae) | Crustacean | 2007 |
| Oregon | Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) | Crustacean | 2009 |
| Texas | Texas Gulf shrimp (Penaeus spp.) | Crustacean | 2015 |
Japan ˆ
| List of Prefectural Crustaceans | ||
|---|---|---|
| Prefecture | Symbol | |
| Aichi | Kuruma prawn (Marsupenaeus japonicus) | 1990 |
| Fukui | Echizen crab (snow crab) (Chionoecetes opilio elongatus) | |
| Kumamoto | prawn (Palinuridae) | 1989 |
Other Aquatic Invertebrate Symbols ˆ
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