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.

José H. Leal

Apr 17, 2020

Shell of the Week: The Ivory Eulima

Melanella eburnea (Mühlfeld, 1824), is a member of the family Eulimidae, marine snails that parasitize echinoderms such as sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and others. The Ivory Eulima has the typical smooth, featureless shell that is typical of members of the family. Depending on the species, they may be endoparasites (living inside the tissues of the host) or ectoparasites (living on the surface of the host’s body). Other local eulimid snails previously treated in this

José H. Leal

Dec 7, 2018

The Crenulated Pyram

The Crenulated Pyram, Longchaeus suturalis (H. C. Lea, 1843), is, at 12 mm (about 0.5 inch), the largest locally occurring species of the mega-diverse family Pyramidellidae. Pyramidellids are in most cases parasitic marine snails that specialize in sucking the body juices and blood of other marine organisms, including other mollusks, worms, and some crustaceans. The shell of the Crenulated Pyram is smooth, conical, with straight sides; the species is not locally common. The C

José H. Leal

Aug 10, 2018

The Half-smooth Odostome

The Half-smooth Odostome, Boonea seminuda (C.B. Adams, 1839) is a member of the marine gastropod family Pyramidellidae, a group of small species that in many cases are ectoparasites (parasites on the outer part of the body) on other mollusks. Its conical, tapered shell measures about 5 mm (about 0.2 inch). It has a sculpture of 4–6 spiral cords with squarish nodules. Its color is translucent-white. Half-smooth Odostomes are known to parasitize Common Atlantic Slipper Snails,

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Curator's Corner