And what is a mermaid’s purse, exactly? The knobbed whelk is the official state shell of New Jersey. Knobs — some more pronounced than others — form around the spire, giving it its name.

And what is a mermaid's purse, exactly? That's the result of a hungry moon snail. Moon snails release an acid onto the shells of clams and other snails to soften the shell, then drill a borehole ...

Devil’s pocketbooks, witch’s purses and mermaid purses are all names for the egg sacks of sharks, skates and rays. Cape Hatteras National Seashore They’re called “Devil’s pocketbooks ...