Plicatula gibbosa
The Kitten’s Paw is obviously named for its thick shell with curving digit-like ribs resembling a kitten’s paw. They are white to gray with red-brown to orange markings on the ribs. The shell can be ¼ to 1½ inches in size. This bivalve belongs to a small family of about 10 species which all live in tropical waters.
Their habitat is in water from the low-tide line to 300 feet deep. There they cement their valve’s (shell) umbo (highest part of the valve) to a rock. The hard thick shell provides protection from crushing or boring by predators.
Live shells should never be taken from any Florida State Park.