Dark Variety Lettered Olive

I found these lettered olives (Oliva sayana) on the beach today. It was unusual finding an olive this large, but the dark color... love it.

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Oliva sayana, lettered olive
Oliva sayana, lettered olive
Oliva sayana, lettered olive



Sally Thomas: Read Orrin Pilkey's How to Read a NC Beach, Chapter 6 pg 113 on the subject of brown and black shells. These are secondary colorations and a result of the reaction of iron to either oxygen (brown or rust of iron oxide) or sulfur (iron sulfide). This may be your answer. Good luck, Sally

Sharon: My dark olives appear to be fading to a lighter color, as they've sat in their box.

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Some Common Coastal NC Species

Alternate Tellin
Alternate Tellin
, Tellina Alternata (Say)

Angelwing
Angelwing
, Cyrtopleura costata (Linnaeus)

Atlantic Auger
Atlantic or Eastern Auger
, Terebra dislocata (Say)

Atlantic calico scallop
Atlantic calico scallop
, Argopecten gibbus (Linnaeus)

Common Nutmeg
Common Nutmeg
, Cancellaria reticulata (Linnaeus)

Cross Barred Venus
Cross Barred Venus
, Chione cancellata (Linnaeus)

Angelwing
Fallen Angelwing
, Atlantic Mud Piddock, Barnea truncata (Say)

Angelwing
False Angelwing
, Petricola pholadiformis (Lamarck)

Humphrey Wentletrap
Humphrey Wentletrap
, Epitonium humphreysii (Kiener)

Imperial Venus Clam
Imperial Venus
, Chione latilirata (Conrad)

Keyhole Limpet
Cayenne keyhole limpet
, Diodora cayenensis (Larmarck)

Keyhole Sand Dollar
Keyhole Sand Dollar
, Mellita quiquiesperforata (Leske, 1778)

Lettered Olive
Lettered Olive
, Oliva sayana (Ravenel)