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 2, 2016

The Atlantic Kitten Paw

The Atlantic Kitten Paw, Plicatula gibbosa Lamarck, 1801, is a bivalve commonly found on the beaches of Southwest Florida (and along the entire coast of the Sunshine State). Its vernacular name derives from the shell shape and, most likely, from its color pattern. It is not unusual for shellers to find complete shells (paired valves) of this inch-long species. Sometimes it is very difficult to separate the valves of a complete shell, not only because they are naturally very w

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