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

May 28, 2021

Shell of the Week: The Green Star Snail

Up to this day, for the past seven years I have been covering mostly Sanibel and Captiva mollusks and their shells. Today, I am expanding the “Shell of the Week” column to include species found elsewhere in Florida. Let’s start with the Green Star Snail. Lithopoma tuber (Linnaeus, 1758). The species has a thick, heavy shell that may exceed 75 mm (3 inches), and is covered with a simple sculpture of raised knobs and finely etched, intersecting lines. But the eye-catching featu

José H. Leal

Feb 5, 2021

Our Red Turban Snails Multiplied!

Earlier this week, one of our Museum Marine Biologists texted me a photo of an unknown, small snail. The snail was found in our Cold-water Touch Pool, along with two others of the same species. The shells are flat, about 10 mm (about 3/8”) across, with well-defined white spines set against a brick-red background. It just so happens that the little snails are the offspring of our resident Red Turban Snails, Pomaulax gibberosus (Dillwyn, 1817). As you can see from the images be

Shell of the Week: The Longspine Star Snail

José H. Leal

Apr 19, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Longspine Star Snail

Lithopoma phoebium (Röding, 1798) measures up to 70 mm, and has a turbinate shell that is usually wider than taller, with about 12–17 triangular spines on the shell periphery. These spines may be worn or reduced in size in some specimens. The shell base is flat, with wavy threads crossed by a few raised spiral cords. The color is variable, with light-brown and greenish hues present, and a whitish base. Although the species is common in other parts of the Gulf of Mexico and Ca

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