# help me identify two new jersey beach/ocean creatures **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2002, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487 "2002-12-29T08:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Br\_er\_Lapin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Br\_er\_Lapin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Br_er_Lapin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/1 "2002-12-29T08:25:13Z")
There are two creatures in particular that are commonly encountered on New Jersey beaches and I’m curious as to what they’re called. The first are tiny clam/mussel type things, pure white and no more than 1/3" long, that very rapidly bury themselves in the sand when uncovered. The second is what looks like a giant pillbug, gray with a many legs, and I believe a many segmented/hinged body (shell?)- kinda like an armadillo. They’re about 2" long and live a few inches deep in sand where the water is also only a few inches deep (well, maybe out farther too, but this is where I commonly encountered them). Anyone have a scientific or even widely used common name for either of these guys? ---
**Author:** ![trader\_of\_shots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trader\_of\_shots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trader_of_shots)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/2 "2002-12-29T08:39:02Z")
The first are tiny clam/mussel type things, pure white and no more than 1/3" long, that very rapidly bury themselves in the sand when uncovered. Hmmm we call them " PIPI’s" here pronounced “PIP EEZE” Taste great … get stuck into the, The second … Hmm perhaps a horse shoe crab ? [http://www.saltwaterfish.com/horseshoe.jpg](http://www.saltwaterfish.com/horseshoe.jpg) ? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/3 "2002-12-29T08:54:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bre’r Lappin \* > **The second is what looks like a giant pillbug, gray with a many legs, and I believe a many segmented/hinged body (shell?)- kinda like an armadillo. They’re about 2" long and live a few inches deep in sand where the water is also only a few inches deep (well, maybe out farther too, but this is where I commonly encountered them).** Marine isopod/beach slater/sea roach. [Does this look similar?](http://www.fostersoccer.com/science/marinebio/gribble.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/4 "2002-12-29T09:13:59Z")
**trader’s** pipi shellfish looks like [this.](http://www.bushmobile.com.au/pipis.htm) ---
**Author:** ![trader\_of\_shots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trader\_of\_shots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trader_of_shots)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/5 "2002-12-29T09:18:17Z")
Ahhh i didn’t know what a pillbug was… you mean a slater bug… Yes then it has to be a roach. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/6 "2002-12-29T10:07:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bre’r Lappin \* > **The first are tiny clam/mussel type things, pure white and no more than 1/3" long, that very rapidly bury themselves in the sand when uncovered.** [Bean clam?](http://www.pressplus.com/pinelands/animals/beanclam.html) ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/7 "2002-12-29T14:57:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bre’r Lappin \* > \*\* > The second is what looks like a giant pillbug, gray with a many legs, and I believe a many segmented/hinged body (shell?)- kinda like an armadillo. They’re about 2" long and live a few inches deep in sand where the water is also only a few inches deep (well, maybe out farther too, but this is where I commonly encountered them). > > Anyone have a scientific or even widely used common name for either of these guys? \*\* I’ll bet you’re looking at a **Mole Crab** : [http://www.assateague.com/mole-cr.html](http://www.assateague.com/mole-cr.html) Here on the NC coast, they’re often called “Sand Fleas”. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/8 "2002-12-29T15:14:01Z")
Some of my happiest childhood memories are of digging up these very creatures on the Jersey shore, a couple of blocks from my grandparents’ house in Margate (near Atlantic City): the first we always called rainbow clams, although I have no idea what their real name is. The second we always called sand crabs. We weren’t exactly marine scientists, though. ---
**Author:** ![Br\_er\_Lapin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Br\_er\_Lapin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Br_er_Lapin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-two-new-jersey-beach-ocean-creatures/145487/9 "2002-12-29T16:13:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eva Luna \* > Some of my happiest childhood memories are of digging up these very creatures on the Jersey shore Me too! I somehow got into a conversation with a friend in CA about random sea creatures, and when he told me that they don’t have either of these things over there, I was determined to find pictures for him. It’s been several years since I’ve seen either, hence my descriptions being a bit off. Thanks guys! They are indeed bean clams and mole crabs.