Florida state shell is the Horse Conch.

The horse conch, also known as the giant band shell, has been Florida’s official state shell since 1969.

At least 535 million years ago, mollusks acquired the ability to secrete a carbonate of lime solution that formed a hard, protective shell around them. The word “conch” comes from a Greek word meaning “shell.”

The shell color is bright orange in very young individuals. The shell often becomes greyish white to salmon-orange when adult. The shell is popular with shell collectors partly because of its great size.