Shells of the Oregon Coast

Here’s some of the shells that I find regularly along the coast. This is mostly for my own reference, but if you find the information useful, great.

Blue Mussels (Mytilus edulis). I usually find them washed up on ocean shores, especially during the stormy season, but sometimes you find them in the bays if there’s a bridge or pilings for them to grow on. You’re more likely to find them in areas where there’s a hard substrate (offshore rocks, or pilings) for them to cling to. Tidepools are an excellent place to see them. It looks like there’s actually two species—the ones that come from the ocean seem a lot sturdier than the ones you find along the shores of the bay. They range in size from about the size of a peach pit, to occasionally as long as your hand, but most are about the same length as your fingers. Nice and shiny on the inside, they’re quite attractive. (Common, you can find these almost anywhere)

Cockle (probably Nuttall’s) Clinocardium nuttallii: You occasionally find these washed up on ocean shores, but the best place to find them are the bays they live in. They range in size from golf ball to occasionally much larger. (Fairly common) Dog whelk (unknown species) not usually intact when you find them washed up on ocean beaches, but occasionally you get lucky.

Gaper Clams: A huge clam that’s often bigger than your hand. Like razor clams, these guys bury themselves deep in the sand. I usually find these large clam shells washed up on ocean shores, but suspect they actually live in the bay. (I find these by the beaches near Waldport)

Keyhole limpet (probably Rough Keyhole Limpet) Diodora aspera: You find these washed up on ocean beaches. (Fairly common)

Nuttall’s Hornmouth: You rarely find these intact without a hermit crab living inside! Usually found on the shore in bays, they seem to like to hang out on seaweed covered rocks and pilings. (I find these near the Alsea Bay) Oyster: Not sure about the species. Pacific oysters are actually quite rare in the wild. Most are farmed in various locations. So, unless someone has left a bunch of shells behind after eating oysters on the beach, you aren’t likely to see them.

Pacific Razor Clams (Siliqua patula): These are primarily found on ocean shores in areas where there’s a good sandbar. (I find these near Waldport)

Piddock (probably Common Piddock) Penitella penita, rarely intact when you find them. Kind of a delicate looking shell that reminds me of angel wings. Their fragility is rather ironic, these clams bore holes in rocks! (I find these near the mouth of the Alsea Bay)

Purple olive: I’m guessing these are tidepool dwellers. Not commonly found on the beach. I mainly find these in Yachats.

Shield limpet (Acmaea pelta): You find these less frequently, as their shells are thinner and more fragile.

Softshell clams (Mya arenaria): These live back in the mudflats of bays and prefer brackish water. There’s a smaller rounder purple species, and a coarser looking white species. (I find these in the Alsea Bay)

Triton (unknown species): Not the fancy huge ones, but we seem to have some small species that you see around occasionally.

Whelk (unknown species): Again, not the big huge fancy type, but we seem to have some smaller species that occasionally washes up.

Other: Here’s some of the things that you find washed up that aren’t shells per se, but are interesting:

Acorn barnacles: Sometimes kelp breaks free, and you’ll find these barnacles growing on the holdfasts

Crab shells: You find a lot of intact crabs, but especially during May/June which I guess is when they’re molting. The reddish looking ones are rock crabs, and the yellow/brown looking ones are Dungeness.

Dead birds: You see a lot of dead shorebirds washed up after storms. Some of the most common ones in order of frequency are Western Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls, Cormorants, Common Murres, Crows, Black Oystercatchers, and Auklets.

Fungus: There’s a lot of trees that get washed into the ocean from the rivers during the winter storms. Sometimes these trees have a weird fungus that looks like Ganoderma growing on them, and this comes detached. So then you find these dinner-plate sized mushrooms lying on the beach. Truly strange.

Kelp Monsters: Sometimes huge masses of bull kelp break loose during storms and wash up on the beach.

Sea Stars: You see these more in the summer than any other time (when the coast experiences a series of minus tides—super low tides), washed up on ocean beaches.

Seals: On average, I’ve found 3-4 dead seals near the Alsea Bay.

Shrimp: Sometimes you find ghost shrimp washed up on the beach.

Sponges: I rarely find big ones, but you often find little sponges after storms.