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

Dec 25, 2015

The Giant Tun

The Giant Tun, Tonna galea (Linnaeus, 1758) is a large gastropod, with a shell that may reach in excess of 150 mm (6 inches). The shell globose, with a short spire, and ornamented with around 20 spiral, strong but flat ridges. A thin shell allows ridges to show on its internal surface. The Giant Tun has a broad distribution in tropical and subtropical areas of the world’s ocean. The species includes a long-lasting, free-living (planktonic) larval stage that allows dispersal v

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