Curator's Blog

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 Biconic Top Turrid

José H. Leal

Apr 29

Shell of the Week: The Biconic Top Turrid

Brachycythara biconica (C.B. Adams, 1850) reaches about 6 mm (about 0.25 inch). As the name implies, the shell is shaped like a double cone. The shell is sculptured with about 13–17 axial (“vertical”) ribs per whorl, and is entirely covered with interrupted micro-grooves that impart a “frosted” appearance to the shell. The shell color is cream-white, with a broad light-brown band at mid-whorl and another, narrower, just below the suture. The shell in these images was collecte

Shell of the Week: The Diomedes Mangelia

José H. Leal

Oct 16, 2020

Shell of the Week: The Diomedes Mangelia

Continuing with the saga of the large family Mangeliidae, Rubellatoma diomedea Bartsch and Rehder, 1939 reaches about 10 mm (0.4 inch) in length, and has distinctly angled whorls, and a typical “lozenge-shaped” shell. The sculpture includes about 7–10 rounded ribs per whorl crossed by fine spiral striations. The aperture comprises about half the shell length, and the color is white with a couple of broad spiral brown bands more evident on the last whorl. #rubellatomadiomedea

José H. Leal

Oct 9, 2020

Shell of the Week: The Star Mangelia

Once again, another member of the hyper-diverse gastropod family Mangeliidae, Stellatoma stellata Stearns, 1872) grows to about 10 mm (0.4 inch) in length, and has distinctly shouldered (angled) whorls. The spire is high, and the aperture occupies about 1/3 of the shell length. There are about 10–12 prominent ribs on each whorl, and the color is yellowish to light-brown, with the inside surface of the aperture darker in color. #stellatomastellata #starmangelia #mangeliidae

José H. Leal

Oct 2, 2020

Shell of the Week: The False Mangelia

Yet another member of the hyper-diverse gastropod family Mangeliidae, Pyrgocythara filosa Rehder, 1943 grows to about 7 mm (0.28 inch) in length, and has a sculpture of about 10–12 axial ribs that span the entire whorl, each rib abutting the ones in previous whorls. The ribs are crossed by finer spiral lines. The shell color in this species is very distinctive, with each half-whorl divided into an anterior brown part and posterior cream-colored one. #pyrgocytharafilosa #false

José H. Leal

Sep 25, 2020

Shell of the Week: The White Mangelia

Another member of the very diverse gastropod family Mangeliidae, Tenaturris bartletti (Dall, 1889) has a body whorl comprising about half of the shell length in adult individuals, and a proportionately larger last whorl in juveniles. The sculpture consists of about 15 axial ribs crossed by fine spiral threads, and the entire shell surface has a “frosty” appearance. #tenaturrisbartletti #mangeliidae #whitemangelia #sanibel

José H. Leal

Sep 18, 2020

Shell of the Week: The Spear Mangelia

Ithycythara lanceolata (C.B. Adams, 1850) is a slender-shelled mangeliid gastropod that grows up to 12 mm. The shell sculpture consists 6–8 well-marked axial ribs. Rib may form a “peak” in the middle of each whorl, where the whorl is wider. The shell is relatively abundant off the East Coast of Florida, but is also present in the Gulf of Mexico. The shell is usually white, but may present reddish-brown hues, mostly at the anterior end. The shell in the illustration was collec

Shell of the Week: The Punctate Mangelia

José H. Leal

Sep 11, 2020

Shell of the Week: The Punctate Mangelia

The family Mangeliidae includes a very large number of microgastropods, most of which parade elegant, elongate shells. Kurtziella limonitella (Dall, 1884) grows to 9.5 mm (about 0.4 inch). The shell sculpture in this species comprises about 8–9 ribs on early whorls that increase in number to 14–15 on the last whorl of adult individuals. The microsculpture consists of fine spiral cords crossed by axial grooves; the intersections form little beads that impart a frosty appearanc

Shell of the Week: The Brown-tip Mangelia

José H. Leal

Sep 4, 2020

Shell of the Week: The Brown-tip Mangelia

Kurtziella atrostyla (Tryon, 1884) is a relatively common gastropod along both coasts of Florida. Its elongate shell may have up to 7–8 whorls, reaches only about 9 mm (about 0.36 inch), and is decorated with 8–10 axial (lengthwise) ribs and fine spiral (“across-shell”) striations. The shell is white, with reddish-brown suture (area where two whorls join) and inner part of the aperture (“opening”). #kurtziellaatrostyla #mangeliidae #spiral #axial #mageliidae

José H. Leal

Mar 1, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Plicate Mangelia

At 6 mm in length, Pyrgocythara plicosa (C.B. Adams, 1850) is one of the local small-sized gastropods. The shell is elongate-fusiform, with the spire (coiled part minus last whorl) measuring about half shell length. The sculpture consists of 11−12 strong axial ribs crossed by about 5−6 spiral cords. The aperture has a strong indentation on the internal side of outer lip, and shell color is light-brown to reddish-brown, with bluish-white remnants of a periostracum. The Plicat

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