Curator's Corner

Museum, research, and collection updates from Dr. José H. Leal, plus Shell of the Week, which highlights a different species every Friday. Most Shells of the Week—but not all—are found in Southwest Florida.

Dr. José H. Leal serves as the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum’s Science Director and Curator. He received his Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Fisheries from the University of Miami and has served at the Museum since 1996. Under his leadership, the Museum was awarded its first accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2010.

Shell of the Week: The Magnum Prickly Cockle

José H. Leal

Sep 3, 2021

Shell of the Week: The Magnum Prickly Cockle

Acrosterigma magnum (Linnaeus, 1758) reaches about 50 mm (about 2 inches). This is one of the largest and more impressive species of the cockle family Cardiidae found in the western central Atlantic. The species is found in Florida, the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, northern South America, and in parts of the Gulf of Mexico (but not on the beaches of Southwest Florida.) The Magnum Prickly Cockle is notable for the delicate hues and smooth surface on the sculpture of radial rib

Shell of the Week: The Painted Egg Cockle

José H. Leal

Jul 3, 2020

Shell of the Week: The Painted Egg Cockle

Laevicardium pictum (Ravenel, 1861) is one out of three species of smooth-shelled cockles found in our local beaches. The species name (pictum, painted) alludes to the typical, very variable pattern of streaks and zigzag markings present on the shell. The Painted Egg Cockle is not as commonly found as other cockle species, probably because it lives in deeper water. The species is found most abundantly after episodes of costal re-nourishment, when sand, mollusks, and other ani

José H. Leal

Jul 17, 2015

The Atlantic Giant Cockle

The Atlantic Giant Cockle, Dinocardium robustum (Lightfoot, 1786), is one of the largest shallow-water bivalves found in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching about 125 mm (6 inches). It is one among eight species of the family Cardiidae present along the shores of Southwest Florida. Its shell is characterized by smooth, rounded radial ribs, usually numbering between 30 and 40 in adult individuals. As it often happens with other species of the family Cardiidae, Atlantic Giant Cockles

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Curator's Corner