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A delicate white angel wing shell (Cyrtopleura costata) — long, ribbed, wing-shaped valves on a neutral background.

Shell Species

Angel Wing

A fragile white bivalve whose elongated, radially sculpted valves resemble folded wings — a prized but delicate find along Atlantic and Gulf shores.

Cyrtopleura costata · Pholadidae

How to identify a angel wing

Elongated, chalky-white valves up to 7 inches long with 26+ radial ribs; extremely brittle and rarely found intact.

  • Elongated wing-shaped outline
  • Pure chalky white with fine radial ribs
  • Fragile — usually recovered as fragments
Family
Pholadidae
Class
Bivalve
Regions
East Coast · Atlantic Coast · Gulf Coast
Habitat
Muddy Subtidal · Estuarine
Best seasons
Spring · Summer · Fall
Collector level
Advanced

Whole specimens are uncommon; the shell is famously fragile and usually recovered as broken halves.

Where to look

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Guide

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Compare Similar Shells

Species and look-alikes worth studying side by side. Every card routes into the shell reference.

Family

Cockle

Part of the wider Cockle group.

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Species

Eastern Oyster

Crassostrea virginica

Related shell in the coastal collection.

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Species

Coquina

Donax variabilis

Related shell in the coastal collection.

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Family

Scallop

Related shell in the coastal collection.

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Beaches Worth Exploring Next

Shores connected to the shells, regions, and conditions on this page.

South Carolina Lowcountry

Huntington Beach State Park

Editorially paired with Edisto Beach for similar shell diversity.

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Florida Atlantic Coast

Amelia Island

Both known for lettered olive finds.

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Florida Atlantic Coast

Canaveral National Seashore

Both known for lettered olive finds.

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North Carolina Outer Banks

Ocracoke Island

Both known for lettered olive finds.

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The Signature Shell Box

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The Mini Box

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