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.

José H. Leal

Apr 20, 2018

The Northern Quahog

The Northern Quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), measures up to 120 mm (about five inches). Its shell is trigonal to rounded, with commarginal ("concentric") ridges on the outer surface. It differs from its closest relative (and local native species), the Southern Quahog, Mercenaria campechiensis, by smaller maximum size, lack of commarginal ridges on central part of the external shell surface, and, most of all, by the violet-color tinges on the internal surface o

José H. Leal

Mar 10, 2017

The Florida Cross-barred Venus

The Florida Cross-barred Venus, Chione elevata (Say, 1822), another member of the Venus clams family Veneridae, is one of the most common shells on the beaches of Southwest Florida. It measures up to about 25 mm (one inch). The shell valves have a characteristic sculpture of well-separated concentric ridges that are intercepted throughout the valve surface by more densely packed radial ribs. (The term radial in this case indicates a direction from shell from beak to edge, lik

José H. Leal

Mar 3, 2017

The Lady-in-waiting Venus

The Lady-in-waiting Venus, Chionopsis intapurpurea (Conrad, 1849), a member of the Venus clams family Veneridae. It measures up to 38 mm (about 1.5 inches). The shell valves have a characteristic sculpture of numerous, concentric ridges that are serrated on the edge. This feature gives the species its common name, as the frilly ridges apparently resemble the trimming on gowns of personal attendants (ladies-in-waiting) to female royalty. Do not mistake shells of this species f

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