rapp creek shells

[Rowboater]

While I'm not into the shells, there are lots more of them than teeth or bones where I hunt.  The big pectans (6-8") are common, as are giant tree oysters, and frilly oysters, which can be colorful.  There are lots of ecphora pieces, yet few whole ecphora.  A big problem with shells is transport; they are fragile.  That said I am curious about what they are (scale is cm).  I was told that the small tubular ones are tusk shells, but there are at least three types (and a worm-like empty tube).  There is a multisided shell that is often in clumps next to or attached to barnacles (two towards the center).  There are lots of "clams"; the four near the top are unopened bivalves (one on its side; most shells come apart in transit).  The top left is a small frilly oyster bottom, below it, I think is a small frilly oyster top.  I thought the top middle was also a frilly, but not sure.  Don't know if the clams are all the same, just weathered differently.  Curious if the three scallops are the same species as the big ones (i don't remember picking up the tiny one, stuck to something else?)  I believe these are all fossil shells from the freshwater creek where I hunt mostly tiny shark teeth.  Thanks for any ID help.

I'll post a few beach shells soon, some may be fossils too? 

 

  

[Rowboater]

Here are the beach shells.  Didn't pick up the modern oyster shells, or the tiny white shells in massive amounts on some tide lines.  Mostly interested in the big white snail-like shells, fossils or extant?  Also picked up a bunch of small snail shells, but too much color, not likely to be fossil.   

 

 

[Al Tahan]

I always collect shells when I go down to Florida. It’s a fun side hobby to match my brachiopod collection lol

[Rowboater]

Couple of scallops (never on other shells?) with some type of star coral. 

Also a steinkern with a 'crimped" edge (usually only pick up the glossy ones, claims).  Note sure what type of bivalve, but part of the crimped lip broke when I dropped it.

 

[Max-fossils]

Very cool finds!!! Looks like an awesome molluscan fauna you have there  

By any chance, do you know the age and formation of your finds? I can't find any info on Rapp Creek (Virginia) anywhere online apart from your posts... Google Maps can't even find it 

Knowing which formation it's from would be super useful to ID the shells confidently to species. 

[fifbrindacier]

Your photos are weird, did you put a glass before them ? Better pics would help for your shells identification.

 

This said, on the upper right of the first photo, you've got a worm tube and, immediately Under i think there are bits of scaphods, under them other bits of dentallium, and still under turritellae (impossible to say more about them with those pics).

 

You did a nice harvesting.

[emmag15]

The bottom row in the first picture looks like, from what I can tell, genus Glycymeris. Genus Septastrea is my best guess for the specimens in the last picture. 

[emmag15]

Oh- and the small fragments of shell directly to the left of the 7 and 8 cm mark look like bits of genus Turritella to me.

[fifbrindacier]

You can have a look on that site (click on collection and on geographical entry, then, choose the country and the period) : http://www.fossilshells.nl

[Rowboater]

@Max-fossils @fifbrindacier @emmag15 @Al Tahan Thanks everyone!  Have been busy with work but its good to know sources with knowledgeable interest in fossil shells (they are much more common where I hunt than teeth or bone bits; "familiarity breeds contempt" but at least I should learn what they are!)  The first photo is from a small creek that goes into the Rappahannock river in Virginia, others have told me this is Miocene.  The other figures are from a beach on the Rappahannock, again mostly Miocene, but other stuff (mostly modern) washes up as well and I find an occasional sample that seems much earlier.  Sorry for the horrible images; I generally just use a scanner since my teeth are usally small, doesn't work well on the bigger shells obviously!  Thanks for the info and link.  Will try to post more shells when I can.