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E.G.D.Angel Wings: A Heavenly Find
Posted by Jody on May 28, 2014
“Angel wing” is the perfect name for this beachcombing favorite! Easy to identify, these beautiful seashells are well-known collector’s items.
Angel wings (Cyrtopleura costata) are very fragile seashells. Somehow, quite a few of them seem to make it to the beach unchipped and in one piece, but it can be a bit of a challenge to get one of these brittle beach treasures all the way home intact!
Angel Wings, Bryan Beach, Texas (Brazoria County)
Angel wings can be found along the Atlantic Coast from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to the northern West Indies. Their range includes the Gulf of Mexico and reaches as far south as Brazil. Our family found many of these wing-shaped beauties on Brazoria County’s Gulf Coast (Texas).
These delicate, snowy white bivalves are members of the burrowing Piddock family. Angel wings bore deep into the soft sandy mud (up to 3 feet below the surface). Filter feeders, they feast on the microalgae and tiny zooplankton in their mucky home, where they can grow up to 8 inches in length.
Angel Wings
“The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone.” – George Eliot, English novelist
Have a heavenly day at the beach!
~~~
Enchanted Seashells, Confessions of a Tugboat Captain's Wife said
I LOVE angel wings! I don’t think they are in our area, so the ones I have were either gifts or I purchased. Lovely!
Jody said
Wonderful! I have yet to bring one back whole! I’ll have to pack some bubble wrap next time! 🙂
Ruth said
I haven’t seen angel wings on our beach…how lovely
E.G.D. said
Happy hunting! They’re really delicate, and all the angel wings in my collection are broken, but they’re fun to find.
Jody said
Thanks, Ruth!
anotherday2paradise said
So lovely, Jody. Yes, a perfect name indeed. Love your title. 🙂
Jody said
Many thanks! 🙂 Have a heavenly day!
Rolling Harbour said
Very pretty, but somehow your posts often spark some sort of lateral thought or synaptic mishap… suddenly, I can’t get an utterly wretched song by (I think) Tavares called “Heaven… must be missin’ an angel” out of my brain. Dang! RH
Jody said
Well, now that’s two of us. 🙂 Have fun with that!