Specimen Collection of Shells and Driftwood ①🐚🦀

Hello!
This time, I would like to introduce a few specimens from my collection of shells and driftwood.

Nadeshiko-gai

First, let's start with the classic Nadeshiko-gai.
You might be thinking, "How many Nadeshiko-gai are you going to show?" but this one is a little different!

I think this one looks good enough to be a specimen.
Here it is ⬇

Yes, I lined up Nadeshiko-gai of the same size to compare them, and
this is the one that caught my eye as having the best color and pattern among them!

That said, other Nadeshiko-gai are quite unique in their own right.
Some have fewer patterns, and the base colors and patterns vary quite a bit!
That's exactly why they are interesting to look at, and if I find them on the beach, I almost always pick them up.
That's how much I love Nadeshiko-gai shells.

Wasure-gai

Next is the Wasure-gai.

This is the only Wasure-gai I have ever found on the beaches of Miyagi.
I think it might be quite rare.
The color and pattern of the shell are also very beautiful, with purple and whitish striped patterns!✨
It is one of the bivalves I hope to find again.

Actually, there is a shell that looks a little bit like the Wasure-gai, so I will introduce it.
It is the "Iso-shijimi" (Gomphina clam).

If you compare these photos, they don't look that similar, do they?
However, Iso-shijimi also have individual differences, so they can sometimes have striped patterns too!💦
So, honestly, I couldn't tell them apart at first.

In fact, when I was researching the Wasure-gai, only Iso-shijimi kept coming up as candidates, and I was confused, wondering if it was really correct.
After digging deep and researching, I finally arrived at Wasure-gai!
It is really a struggle just to identify similar-looking shells😅
But that's part of the fun, so I'll let it slide!

Kabazakura

Next, I will introduce the Kabazakura.

This is the Kabazakura.
It is characterized by its pink color and two lines.
They say that ones without the two lines are regular Sakura-gai (Tellin shells).
Furthermore, Kabazakura are said to have more luster than regular Sakura-gai.
However, since I took this photo from directly above, you can't really see the luster at all😅
I'll try taking a photo from a different angle next time lol

And, I was super lucky to find one where two were still connected!
(Asari clams and others are often found connected.)
Just seeing Sakura-gai and Kabazakura in Miyagi makes me happy!
Finding them in a connected state was beyond happy—I was absolutely thrilled!!
I had to be very careful bringing home these thin, small Kabazakura while they were still attached to each other lol
As a result, they didn't break or separate, so I'm really glad they stayed together like this😊

Finally

This time, I introduced four types: the noble scallop, the sunset clam, the cherry blossom clam, and the beach clam (which looks similar to the sunset clam)!
Surprisingly, the beach clam was something I picked up over 15 years ago (when I was a child) lol
I hope to continue introducing my shell and driftwood specimen collection little by little.

Thank you for reading!