Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758) Northern Quahog In Situ

    Identification of buried mollusks from their "track in the sand" is far from an exact science and even veteran shell collectors are occasionally stumped. Such is the case of the two buried specimens pictured below which presented a track indistinguishable from that of a Fulguropsis spirata (Lamarck, 1816) [Pear Whelk] found at the exact same location a week earlier. It wasn't until the two specimens were dug up that the true identity of the mollusks was established.  

Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758) Northern Quahog In Situ
Sand bar, Sea Love Marina, Vilano Beach, St. Johns Co., Florida 4/1/2007 (65 mm.)