Identify common seashells and small marine creatures found along the Western Cape coastline. This illustrated guide covers shells, anemones, mussels and other species seen in rock pools and on beaches, especially after low tide or storms.
The guide includes species commonly found around Cape Town and along the Garden Route, helping you recognise what you find on the shoreline. Use this guide to match shell shapes, colours and patterns with species found along the coast.
If you plan to collect shells, follow local regulations and take only empty shells. See the Western Cape shell collecting rules and guidelines.
For broader shoreline life, see Rock pools and shoreline life. Cape Seashells – Identification and Illustrated Guide
Jump to:
Shells, Squid and Octopus (Molluscs) |
Crabs, Lobsters and Barnacles (Crustaceans) |
Starfish, Urchins and Sea Cucumbers (Echinoderms) |
Other Shore Creatures |
Shell Terminology |
Where to Find Shells in the Western Cape
Shells, Squid and Octopus (Molluscs)
Finger ploughshell
Several species occur. A flesh-coloured shell with a smooth surface and a broad, flat foot. Lives on sandy, wave-exposed beaches where it scavenges carrion, locating food by scent.
Size: up to 6 cm
Violet snail
A delicate purple spiral shell. Floats upside-down at the sea surface, suspended by a raft of mucus bubbles, and feeds mainly on bluebottles.
Size: about 3 cm in diameter
Spiny chiton
A flat, slug-like mollusc with eight overlapping plates and small spines around the edge. Attached to rocks in the intertidal zone. About ten species occur in the Western Cape.
Size: up to 7 cm
Common cuttlefish
A mollusc related to squid with ten limbs. Two long tentacles grasp prey, which is subdued with venom. The internal shell (cuttlebone) is often found washed up on beaches.
Size: up to 15 cm
Common octopus
Eight-armed mollusc with two rows of suckers on each arm. Hides in rock pools and reefs where it ambushes crabs and lobsters. Grows rapidly and reaches adult size within a year.
Size: up to 60 cm arm span
Chokka squid
Cigar-shaped squid with eight short arms and two long tentacles. Fins run along the mantle. Hunts small fish and is commonly caught by anglers using lures.
Size: 20–30 cm
White mussel
Two whitish triangular shells with wavy ridges along the upper edge. Lives on sandy beaches in strong wave action. Used for bait and also eaten.
Minimum legal size: 3.5 cm
Black mussel
A native bivalve mollusc with a smooth, shiny black shell. Occurs in dense colonies on mid- to lower-shore rocks where it attaches firmly and filters plankton from the water. An important part of the coastal ecosystem and is traditionally harvested in some areas.
Size: up to 15 cm
Venus ear (Siffie)
Quekett’s abalone (Haliotis queketti)Cream-coloured, ear-shaped shell with a row of small holes near the rim and a pearly interior. Found at low tide on wave-exposed reefs.
Minimum legal size: 3.5 cm
Abalone (Perlemoen)
In South Africa, it is known as perlemoen. It is from a group of large, flat sea snails of the genus Haliotis.”ear-shaped” shell with a row of holes and a mother-of-pearl interior. Juveniles occur in rock pools; adults live in kelp beds. Heavily protected, and harvesting requires a permit. These slow-growing animals are at severe risk of decline in South African waters. Size: up to 20 cm
Minimum legal size to harvest: about 12 cm
Granular limpet
Oval dome-shaped shell with ribbing and a bluish-white interior. Forms colonies on rocks.
Size: up to 8 cm
Pear limpet
Often covered in algae and lives in colonies on exposed rocks. Grazes on algae in the splash zone.
Size: up to 7 cm
Cape false limpet
Small oval shell with dark radiating ribs that do not extend beyond the edge. Found on mid-shore rocks and in pools, often sand-covered.
Size: about 2 cm
Variegated topshell
Small patterned round shell. Mobile on upper-shore rocks, feeding on algae.
Size: about 1 cm
Giant periwinkle (Alikreukel)
Large spiral shell sealed by a thick white disc. These “doors” are often washed up on beaches. Edible but regulated.
Size: up to 10 cm
Minimum harvest size: 6.4 cm
Ridged burnupena
A scavenging snail with ridges near the shell tip, often covered in green algae. Found near the low-tide zone, feeding on carrion.
Size: about 4 cm
Operculum,
“A corneous or calcareous anatomical structure, like a trapdoor that exists in many (but not all) groups of sea snails and freshwater snails. It is the part of the shell used by molluscs to seal their bodies inside their shells, “a shell-sealing-door “
Crabs, Lobsters and Barnacles (Crustaceans)
Goose barnacle
Crustacean with five connected shell plates. Forms colonies on driftwood and floating objects, filtering food with feathery limbs.
Size: about 3 cm
Volcano barnacle
Grey cone-shaped barnacle attached to rocks in the intertidal zone.
Size: about 2 cm
Eight-shell barnacle
Whitish barnacle made of eight plates, forming dense colonies on rocks and filtering plankton.
Size: about 2 cm
West Coast rock lobster (crayfish)
A ten-legged crustacean living on rocky reefs, feeding on mussels and urchins. A valued seafood species with strict harvesting regulations.
Size: up to 30 cm
Minimum legal size: 7.5 cm carapace length
Cape rock crab
Russet-coloured crab with pale ridges on the legs and white-spotted pincers. Found in pools and shallow reefs, feeding on small invertebrates.
Size: body is about 5 cm
Shore crab
Brownish-orange crab is active at night on the upper shore, feeding mainly on detritus.
Size: body is about 3 cm
European shore crab
Introduced greenish crab found in sheltered areas. Feeds on small molluscs and threatens local shellfish populations.
Size: body is about 5 cm
Starfish, urchins and sea cucumbers
(Echinoderms)>
Cape urchin
Round spiny echinoderm, usually purple, red, green or pink. Found in rock pools feeding on algae.
Size: 1–7 cm
Pansy shell
(Echinodiscus bisperforatus) A flat, disc-shaped sand dollar (a type of sea urchin). The upper surface shows a faint flower-like petal pattern of pores used by tube feet, and the rear half has two narrow slits. Living animals are covered in fine velvety spines, which fall off after they die. It lives just under the sand in sheltered areas, feeding on organic particles. Found from Cape Agulhas, along the Garden Route and northwards along the East African coast. Although commonly called a shell, it is actually a relative of sea urchins.
Dwarf cushion star
Small flat star-shaped echinoderm, well camouflaged in rock pools. Feeds on algae and lays eggs beneath rocks.
Size: about 2 cm
Elegant feather star
Has ten delicate arms and attaches to rocks, filtering microscopic organisms from the water.
Spiny starfish
Grey or orange starfish with knobbly spines. Found on rocky shores feeding on mussels.
Size: up to 20 cm
Red starfish
Deep-orange starfish with a scaly surface. Moves slowly over rocks, feeding on detritus.
Size: about 9 cm
Serpent-skinned brittle star
Spider-like echinoderm with long, fragile arms. Lives under rocks in rock pools.
Size: about 5 cm
Red-chested sea cucumber
Small cucumber-shaped echinoderm using feathery tentacles to capture tiny organisms.
Size: 2–4 cm
Other Shore Creatures
Sponges
Simple filter-feeding animals are attached to rocks below the tide zone.
Cape reef worm
Lives in colonies inside tubes made of sand grains and shell fragments on rocky shores.
False plum anemone
Dark red anemone living in crevices and pools. Uses stinging tentacles to catch prey.
Size: up to 10 cm
Sandy anemone
Occurs on sandy rock-pool floors. Often covered in sand grains stuck to its body.
Size: about 8 cm
Root-mouthed jellyfish
Large mushroom-shaped jellyfish often wash ashore. Lacks long stinging tentacles and filters tiny prey.
Size: up to 50 cm+
Bluebottle (Physalia)
Floating colonial organism with long stinging tentacles. Avoid touching.
Ascidian (Sea squirt)
Wrinkled-skinned filter feeder attached to rocks, pumping water in and out through two siphons. Sometimes used as bait. (Red bait)
Size: up to 15 cm
Mediterranean mussel
Non-native species form dense colonies on mid-shore rocks and often outcompete native black mussels.
Size: up to 14 cm
“Before collecting shells, see the Western Cape shell collecting rules.”
Shell Terminology
Understanding a few basic terms makes shell identification much easier:
- Bivalve: A type of mollusc with two hinged shells, such as clams, oysters, and mussels. These shells often separate at the hinge before washing ashore. Most bivalves are filter feeders.
- Whorl: One complete turn in a spiral shell.
- Spire: The upper part of a spiral shell, made up of all the whorls except the largest (body whorl).
- Aperture: The opening of the shell through which the animal extends.
- Columella: The central axis around which a spiral shell coils.
- Sculpture: The surface pattern on a shell, including ridges, grooves, or markings.
- Radial: Features that spread out from the centre of the shell.
- Mantle: The soft body tissue that produces the shell and surrounds the internal organs. It is connected to the foot, which the mollusc uses for movement.
Shells that spiral to the right are called dextral, while those that spiral to the left are sinistral. Most shells are dextral; left-coiling shells are far less common.
For a more detailed list, see here
Where to Find Shells in the Western Cape
Shell collecting conditions vary across the Western Cape coastline due to differences in climate, ocean currents, and geography.
General Tips
Shells are generally more numerous at low tide when more beach and rock pools are exposed. Shells are often found scattered around after storms or high tides. Early mornings are usually quieter, and you may be more likely to find shells.
West Coast
The west coast is influenced by the cold Benguela Current, which limits shell diversity. However, winter storms can wash deeper-water shells onto beaches.
Cape Peninsula and False Bay
Interesting shells can be found in areas around the Cape Peninsula, especially in rock pools.
Good spots include: Muizenberg,St James, Fish Hoek, Boulders Beach, Windmill Beach and Millers Point rock pools, but these are only accessible at low tide... Common finds include limpets, mussels, and periwinkles.
Overberg Coast
The beaches around Hermanus have long sandy stretches and clear water. Kammabaai Beach and Sandbaai Beach are good shell-hunting grounds
Other good locations include: Struisbaai Beach, Cape Agulhas, Cape Hangklip, Buffels Bay
Southern Peninsula & Atlantic Coast
Noordhoek Beach is generally good, strong winds can bring in a variety of shells Diaz Beach is also good after rough weather
Garden Route
As you move east, the influence of the warmer Agulhas Current increases shell diversity.
In Plettenberg Bay, Robberg Beach is a wide beach with a good variety of shells. Lookout Beach is known for pansy shells.
These beaches stretch for kilometres, giving plenty of space to explore. Warmer water conditions bring in a wider range of shells, including occasional deeper-water species.
Browse our complete Western Cape guide to find comprehensive lists with practical details
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