Home › Shell Guide › Shark Eye
Shark Eye
Neverita duplicata · Size: About 2 to 3 inches
A moon snail with a round, smooth, polished shell. The shark eye gets its name from the dark, swirled spot at the center of the shell's underside that looks like an eye.
How to identify it
Round and glossy, with a low spire and a gray or tan outside. Turn it over and look for the dark, glossy spot in the center.
Where to look near Sarasota
Common on beaches in the region, and the empty ones are easy to find. On the sand you may also see a stiff, sand-colored ring called a sand collar.
More shells to look for
Finding shark eyes with a guide
Moon snails come out to hunt after dark, so a night tour is the best way to see a shark eye at work. We also point out sand collars on the bottom so you know to leave them alone.
Fun Florida Tours runs a guided night shelling and snorkeling tour in shallow Gulf water at Siesta Key, Sarasota and Anna Maria Island. You wade in from shore with a guide, the group shares one bright LED light pod that lights up the bottom, and the water stays under 4 feet deep, so you do not need to be a strong swimmer. After 60 minutes in the water we spend 15 minutes on the sand for show-and-tell, where guides name everything the group found. Empty shells are yours to keep; anything alive goes back.