Author Archives: José Leal

Cockles of Southwest Florida

Do you know the cockles (family Cardiidae) from Southwest Florida? They are: (1) Little Dove Strawberry Cockle (Americardia columbella); (2) Yellow Egg Cockle (Laevicardium mortoni); (3) Florida Prickly Cockle (Trachycardium egmontianum); (4) Atlantic Giant Cockle (Dinocardium robustum); (5) Yellow Prickle Cockle (Dallocardia muricata); (6) Broad Paper Cockle (Papyridea lata); (7) Painted Egg Cockle (Laevicardium pictum); (8) Common Egg Cockle (Laevicardium angmagsalikense). The photos are not to scale. As usual, click on each scientific name…

Imposex in the Horse Conch

National Shell Museum staff’s article* on imposex in the Horse Conch (Triplofusus giganteus) from the Florida Panhandle was published this week in the Bulletin of Marine Science. Imposex is an irreversible disorder in female marine snails caused by compounds present in anti-fouling paints used on boats and ships. Exposed females can develop non-functioning male reproductive structures, including formation of a pseudo-penis. Other harmful conditions such as limited production of eggs and sterility follow, and some of the affected snails may die prematurely.  Triplofusus giganteus in the…

Ark Clams of Southwest Florida

Here is a sampling of the ark clams and their relatives (families Arcidae and Noetiidae) living along the coast of Southwest Florida. In the family Arcidae: (1) Turkey Wing (Arca zebra); Mossy Ark (Lamarcka imbricata); (3) Transverse Ark (Anadara transversa); (4) Cut-ribbed Ark (Anadara secticostata); (5) Red-brown Ark (Barbatia cancellaria); (6) Delicate Ark (Fugleria tenera). In the family Noetiidae: (7) Ponderous Ark (Noetia ponderosa); (8) Adams’s Miniature Ark (Arcopsis adamsi). The individual photos are not to scale and, as usual, click on…

Shell of the Week: The Flame Auger

Terebra taurina is certainly the largest species of auger snail (family Terebridae) in the western Atlantic, reaching more than 180 mm (7 inches) in length. Its shell is robust, with a well-defined suture (the groove between adjacent whorls) and a color pattern of elongated brownish spots set against a cream-white background.  Auger snails are predators, injecting a cocktail of toxins into their prey using their hypodermic-needle-like radular teeth, in the same manner as their cousins, the cone snails. The species has a broad geographic distribution, living from Florida throughout the Caribbean,…

Shell of the Week: The Green-based Tegula

Agathistoma excavatum reaches 18 mm (approximately 0.7 inch). The typical trochiform shape is complemented by a concave (“excavated”, hence the species-name ending) base, which sometimes can show a greenish color. The species is found in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida Keys. The shell illustrated was found on Captiva Island on a stormy day in October 2021 by Lisa Johnstone. Its presence on the local beaches had not been registered before, and this first record for Captiva should, as usual in cases like this, be considered with caution.

The 2025 Live Mollusk Count

The 2025 Live Mollusk Count took place on Sanibel Island last January 12, achieving very good results. The number of participants, methods, and count area were comparable to Live Mollusk Counts done in the recent past. The Live Mollusk Counts have been organized by the National Shell Museum & Aquarium (under the leadership of Associate Director of Education Jorden Falker) in collaboration with the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club (under the leadership of Debi McBroom.) A West Indies Fighting Conch at West Gulf Drive beach access #1, on Sanibel. Photo: Maria Gonzalez.

Wentletraps of Southwest Florida

Wentletraps (family Epitoniidae) are everlasting favorites here in Southwest Florida. Today I present a selection of species found on the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva islands: (1) Bladed Wentletrap (Epitonium albidum); (2) Dall’s Wentletrap (Cirsotrema dalli); (3) Angulate Wentletrap (Epitonium angulatum); (4) Humphrey’s Wentletrap (Epitonium humphreysii); (5) New England Wentletrap (Epitonium novangliae); (6) Matthews’s Wentletrap (Epitonium matthewsae); (7) Leal’s Wentletrap (Epitonium leali); (8) Brown-band Wentletrap (Gyroscala rupicola); (9) Tollin’s Wentletrap (Epitonium tollini). The individual photos are not at the same scale;…