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

Feb 21, 2020

The Atlantic Fig and Her Egg Capsules

The Atlantic Fig Snail, Ficus papyratia (Say, 1822), makes a thin shell that is shaped like a slender fig or pear. The shell opening, or aperture, tapers gently toward the end of the anterior canal. The shell color is pinkish-gray to light-tan, and is sculptured with a delicate net-like pattern. The animal is cream-colored with dark and whitish spots. The photo of the live fig snail above was taken in 2015 on Kice Island, Collier County, Florida, by Amy Tripp. The snail’s man

José H. Leal

May 22, 2015

The Atlantic Fig Snail

The Atlantic Fig Snail, Ficus papyratia (Say, 1822), belongs in the category of the desirable local shells. Its shell is thin, and shaped like a fig (or a pear). The shell opening, or aperture, tapers gently toward the extremity of the anterior canal. The shell color is pinkish-gray to light-tan. The animal is cream-colored with dark and whitish spots. The Fig Snail’s egg cases are stacked on top of one another and attached at one small area of the fluted edge. The Atlantic F

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Curator's Corner