A beach is not only a
sweep of sand,
but shells of creatures,
the sea glass, the seaweed,
the incongruous objects
washed up by the ocean.
...Henry Grunwald
There was a storm while I was in Florida. The next day, the beach was covered with seaweed and so many pen shells. Every few feet, there was another cluster of seaweed and a large pen shell laying on the beach. I starting collecting them and marked the path to the cottage with these shells.
I also boiled a few to see what they looked like inside and to remove the innards. Inside contains what looks like a sea scallop and other organs...and maybe a black pearl, though I did not find one. I don't think I inspected all the internal organs as thoroughly as I should have. Not my cup of tea. We also did not eat any of it.
One pen shell did tried to snap down on my finger! It was starting to open and there was a slimy film membrane. When I started to separate the membrane, it snapped closed again and I jumped!
Mollusks have muscles located in the shell that are called adductors. They are strong circular muscles used to open and close their shells. They are a muscle type animal and they shutter/spasm which can break their shell.
It was an interesting experience and I boiled and cleaned a few pen shells to bring home with me.
I like the ones with the most barnacles and texture. When separated they form a heart or can be used for wings in a craft project. Nice on Black.
