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

Sep 2, 2016

The Cabrit Murex

Last week I covered the Rose Murex, Vokesimurex rubidus. This week I am presenting a close relative, the Cabrit Murex, Vokesimurex cabritii (Bernardi, 1859). A larger species, Cabrit Murexes can reach about 2.5–3 inches in size. It differs from its “cousin”, the Rose Murex, by having cream or yellowish color and shorter spire (the part of the shell with many whorls, away from the opening, or aperture). As it happens with Rose Murexes, Cabrit Murex shells found on the beach or

José H. Leal

Aug 26, 2016

The Rose Murex

The family Muricidae of marine snails include some locally well-known and iconic species such as the Lace Murex, Apple Murex, and Cabrit Murex. A relatively uncommon member of the family, the Rose Murex, Vokesimurex rubidus (F.C. Baker, 1897) can typically be separated from its closer relatives by its coloration of pink or dark-pink spiral bands. The species is somewhat similar to Cabrit Murex, having comparable rows of shell spines, but is smaller, reaching less than two inc

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The Cabrit Murex

The Rose Murex