Pododesimus cepio (jingle shell or rock oyster)

Found in area from 6 to 7 to 8 to 9.

Rock oysters attach themselves to rocks by a byssus through a hole in the lower shell. The shells take shapes based on their immediate environment. Some are very bent. People call them jingle shells for the noise they make on rocky beaches when the wind blows.

Often after a storm you can find jingle shells washed up on the beach. To find live ones, it’s best to try at night when the tide is low enough to expose the large rocks. A flashlight picks up the red look of the jingle shell and you can see them easily.