In the rare case that some of you ask us, our shells (true,not reproductions) are precisely ... just shells, ie without the mollusk that produced them. They come from different seas and oceans, particularly in the Pacific, with the exception of course of the Pulmonate that are on the mainland.
So in the catalog you'll find whether Gastropoda (cypraee, murices, cones…), ie the kind of shellfish whose shell is composed of a single part with an opening from which the animal escapes, or Bivalvia (pectines, cockles, clams...) so called because their shell is divided in two parts know as the "valves"; but we have also Scaphopoda, tusk of elephant shaped, and the Cephalopoda with external shell (excluded therefore small cuttlefishes, octopuses and calamaries!), like the famous Nautilus (not the submarine…).
Like for every category, our catalogs are subject to frequent revision, so you often come back to visit us if you are searching for novelties.
And now… good fishing!


Guide to the consultation of the catalog

As for the other zoological catalogs, also the specimen in the Shells Catalog have been subdivided into great and small systematic categories, both thanks to the tree menu, either by using the appropriate internal research, to make easier the consultation. For example the section other gasteropods (Gasteropoda) is divided into families (Tonnidae, Neritidae).
The NEW symbol in the green triangle near the cart, if it's present, shows, for a brief period, all the new shells of the catalog. The black text below the red name of the item, indicates the main systematic category; then can follow, inside the item-card, some subcategories (blue, green, orange and yellow). For example: the shell Cypraea argus is in the section "Conidae and Cypraeidae (Gasteropods)" (blue text), within the family" Cipraeidae" (green text). The items are listed in alphabetical order.
After the photo il follows a brief description of the shell to give you an idea of the aspect and dimension; if it isn't complete, together the scientific name of the item (Genus and species) you can find it in detail opening the item-card of the specimen that you're examining. Under the photo you'll find the dollar price (which may or may not also be possibly on offers, so take a look at our Promo Catalog).
To know other information, clicking on Read More, you enter in a new page with one or more bigger photos (zoomable) of the shell, and further news useful to the purchase, like a more detailed description, its code number, the availability of the relating shell (it could be temporarily finished or reserved), and the origin, that indicates the zoogeographic region where the mollusk lives, except for more specific indications.
The indicated measures can not to correspond, being one medium, sometimes approximate, between adult animals that during their lifetime can not to reach the maximum dimensions. If the real measure of the available animal is much lacking from indicated measure in the catalogue, to the action of a your eventual order we will communicate you the measure at the moment available.
All the shells, except few specific cases, have been cleaned up in HCl (hydrochloric acid) and and thus lack of deposits and encrustations of CaCO3 (calcium carbonate). Except where indicated, Gastropoda are without operculum, Bivalve are complete (that is with the two valves), except where indicated to be a single valve unpaired.
For your orders, you can click on "add to cart" without fear: the ultimate purchase will take place successively, after our confirmation of its real availability (anyhow we exhort you to read the terms of sale).
If you search for a precise article, let's use our internal search engine that we have added for you!