This is a list of official state shells for those states of the United States that have chosen to select one as part of their state insignia.[1] In 1965, North Carolina was the first state to designate an official state shell, the Scotch bonnet. Since then, 14 other states have designated an official state shell.
These are seashells, the shells of various marine mollusks including both gastropod and bivalves. Each one was chosen to represent a maritime state, based on the fact that the species occurs in that state and was considered suitable to represent the state, either because of the species' commercial importance as a local seafood item, or because of its beauty, rarity, exceptional size, or other features.
| State | Shell | Image | Year designated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Johnstone's junonia Scaphella junonia ssp. johnstoneae | 1990[2] | |
| Connecticut | Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica | 1989 | |
| Delaware | Channeled whelk Busycotypus canaliculatus | 2014[3] | |
| Florida | Horse conch Triplofusus papillosus | 1969[4] | |
| Knobbed whelk Busycon carica | 1987[5] | ||
| Massachusetts | New England Neptune Neptunea lyrata ssp. decemcostata | 1987[6] | |
| Mississippi | Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica | 1974[7] | |
| New Jersey | Knobbed whelk Busycon carica ssp. gmelin | 1995[8] | |
| New York | Bay scallop Argopecten irradians | 1988[9] | |
| North Carolina | Scotch bonnet Semicassis granulata | 1965[10] | |
| Oregon | Oregon hairy triton Fusitriton oregonensis | 1989[11] | |
| Rhode Island | Quahaug Mercenaria mercenaria | 1987[12] | |
| South Carolina | Lettered olive Oliva sayana | 1984[13] | |
| Texas | Lightning whelk Sinistrofulgur perversum ssp. pulleyi | 1987[14] | |
| Virginia | Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica | 1974[15] | |