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 11, 2020

Cowries are Cool!

Throughout human history, the enjoyment of shells and curiosity they spark have been the foundation for the science and better understanding of mollusks. And no other group of shells evokes more interest and appreciation than cowries (family Cypraeidae). Their “egg-shaped” shells are usually smooth, glossy, and their weight “feels” just right when held in one's hand. From time to time the living snail covers the shell from both sides of a slit-like opening, and the shell-maki

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

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Curator's Blog

Cowries are Cool!

The Atlantic Fig and Her Egg Capsules