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

Nov 27, 2015

The Pigmy Octopus

Octopuses are shell-less mollusks of the class Cephalopoda. One of the local species is the Pigmy Octopus, Octopus joubini Robson, 1929, a species rarely surpassing 5 inches in size. Given their relatively small size, Pigmy Octopuses are capable of temporarily seeking shelter inside empty shells of large gastropods (e.g., Lightning Whelks, Tulips) or bivalves (e.g., Giant Cockles, Quahogs, Pen Shells). Members of this small species, in particular females guarding their eggs,

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Curator's Blog

The Pigmy Octopus