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.

Shell of the Week: The Caribbean Truncatella

José H. Leal

Oct 25, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Caribbean Truncatella

Truncatellas are small marine snails that spend most of their lives away from seawater, living among dead leaves, above the high tide line in mangrove areas. Last week I presented the Beautiful Truncatella, Truncatella pulchella Pfeiffer, 1839. The other, closely related species, is the Caribbean Truncatella, Truncatella caribaeensis Reeve, 1842. The latter has similar color, a variable sculpture pattern of 16–40 ribs. The Caribbean Truncatella is larger, reaching 8 mm (0.32

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