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.

Shell of the Week: The Different Scale Snail

José H. Leal

Jul 12, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Different Scale Snail

Cochliolepis differens Rubio, Rolán, & Lee, 2011 is a recently described member of the microgastropod family Tornidae. Its shell reaches about 3 mm (about 0.12 inch) in diameter, and is flattened, compressed, with a sculpture of very fine, wavy growth lines. The spire is very short, not projected, and the umbilicus is open. The aperture is oblique in relation to the shell axis (the imaginary line around which the shell coils during growth). Shell color translucent, glass-like

José H. Leal

Jul 5, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Gabb Vitrinella

Solariorbis infracarinatus (Gabb, 1881) is a member of the microgastropod family Tornidae with ample distribution in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, found also along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only about 2.0 mm (about 0.08 inch). The shell has a low spire, and the shell periphery (outer shell “edge”) bears a strong spiral keel. The shell base has about 4–5 spiral ribs, but the spire itself lacks any major, visible sculpture. The proto

Shell of the Week: The Terminal Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Jun 28, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Terminal Vitrinella

Originally described from Destin, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, Solariorbis terminalis (Pilsbry & McGinty, 1946) is yet another member of the microgastropod family Tornidae found also along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only 2.5 mm (about 0.1 inch). The shell has a low spire, the suture is well-defined, and the last whorl is rounded at the periphery (outer shell “edge”). The sculpture includes 4–5 spiral cords along the shell periphery. Th

Shell of the Week: The Cupola Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Jun 21, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Cupola Vitrinella

The Cupola Vitrinella, Anticlimax pilsbryi (McGinty, 1945) is one of the most distinctive members of the microgastropod family Tornidae found along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only about 3 mm (about 0.12 inch). As the common name implies, its shell is shaped like a cupola, with a strongly convex spire and relatively flat base. The shell sculpture consists of well-defined spiral lines consisting each of a microscopic zig-zag pattern. The

José H. Leal

Jun 14, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Bales Vitrinella

Originally described from the east coast of Florida and Florida Keys, Pseudomalaxis balesi Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945 is another member of the microgastropod family Tornidae found along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only 1.8 mm (about 0.06 inch). As with many vitrinellas, its shell is disk-shaped, compressed, but the whorl profile in this species is squarish (edges of shell are squarish in side view). The shell sculpture consists of fine spir

José H. Leal

May 31, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Blake Vitrinella

Solariorbis blakei (Rehder, 1944), is another local member of the microgastropod family Tornidae. Larger shells of the species reach only 1.5 mm (about 0.06 inch), but the shell in the images measures only 1 mm! Its shell is flattened, compressed, with the spire projecting ever so slightly in the early whorls. The shell sculpture consists mostly of wavy axial ridges located near the suture (area where two whorls meet) and shell base. The umbilicus is present, but narrow. The

Shell of the Week: The Jeanne Vitrinella

José H. Leal

May 24, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Jeanne Vitrinella

Cyclostremiscus jeannae Pilsbry & McGinty, 1946, is another very small local microgastropod in the family Tornidae. The rarely exceeds 2 mm (0.08 inch) in diameter, is flattened, compressed, with a sculpture of three strong spiral keels. The shell base is clearly delimited by the “lower” peripheral keel, with another keel delimiting the relatively large umbilicus. Shell color is white. The species was named after the late malacologist and specialist in Southwest Florida mollu

Shell of the Week: The Trilix Vitrinella

José H. Leal

May 17, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Trilix Vitrinella

Cyclostremiscus pentagonus (Gabb, 1873) is a member of the microgastropod family Tornidae that grows to be up to 2.2 mm in size. The shell is flattened, compressed, but with the spire projecting in early whorls, sculpture of microscopic growth lines. The last whorl in cross-section has a pentagonal shape. Base with two main spiral ridges. Shell color whitish-translucent, clear. The shell illustrated was collected in 2008 by former Museum collection volunteer Lois Dunnam on th

Shell of the Week: The Fringed Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Apr 26, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Fringed Vitrinella

At about 3.5 mm (0.14 inch) in diameter, Episcynia inornata (d’Orbigny, 1842) is one of the “medium-sized” members of the microgastropod family Tornidae (some species of the family measure about 1 mm in diameter only!) Its shell has a flattened trochoid (“top shell-like”) shape, is translucent, probably transparent in the living snail, very thin and fragile, with about 5 whorls. Typically, the shell periphery is garnished with tiny teeth-like projections, with thin wisps of b

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