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

Jan 11, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Crested Oyster

Ostrea stentina Payraudeau, 1826 (family Ostreidae) is a 40 mm (about 1.5 inch), rarely 50 mm (about 2 inches), oyster that may be found on Southwest Florida beaches. The shell outline consists of variations of oval shapes, and the shell edge is often crenulated, or crimped. Its color is variable, sometimes grayish, often with tinges of brown. Unlike the edible, commercial Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, which may form large clusters with thousands of individuals, the

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