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.

Shell of the Week: The Keeled-base Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Sep 13, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Keeled-base Vitrinella

Teinostoma carinicallus Pilsbry & McGinty, 1946 is one the most distinctive among the local species of vitrinellas (family Tornidae). Its shell, which rarely reaches 3 mm (0.12 inch) in diameter, is delicate, smooth, with a low spire. The last whorl is flat, but the shell periphery is rounded. A concave callus (the plug-like structure on the shell base) completely closes the shell umbilicus. The most distinctive feature in the shell of this species is the presence of a narrow

Shell of the Week: The Florida Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Aug 30, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Florida Vitrinella

Vitrinella floridana Pilsbry & McGinty, 1946 is a very small species of the family Tornidae, that barely reaches 2 mm (about 0.8 inch) in diameter. The shell is smooth, totaling only about 3.5 whorls, with an open umbilicus, and the callus is absent. The shell is compressed, with the apex projecting only slightly, the whorl profile rounded, and the aperture oblique. The shell color in the Florida Vitrinella is translucent-white. The shell illustrated was collected in 2002 by

Shell of the Week - The Hidden-spire Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Aug 23, 2019

Shell of the Week - The Hidden-spire Vitrinella

This species is actually the Hidden-spire Vitrinella, Teinostoma cryptospira (A.E. Verrrill, 1884), not the Trifle Vitrinella, Teinostoma lerema, as identified in the original posting. At 2 mm (0.08 inch) maximum size, the Hidden-spire Vitrinella is one of the smallest members of the family Tornidae in Florida. The suture (line where two successive whorls join) in this species is not very visible, not forming a distinct line on the shell surface. The shell surface is smooth,

Shell of the Week: High-spired Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Aug 16, 2019

Shell of the Week: High-spired Vitrinella

Teinostoma altum Pilsbry, 1953, is another member of the microgastropod family Tornidae with ample distribution in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Shell size up to 2.2 mm (about 0.09 inch) in diameter. As the scientific and common names of the species indicate, the shell has a tall spire, resembling a miniature moon snail (family Naticidae). The shell lacks any sculpture except for microscopic growth lines. The protoconch sunken within the remainder of the shell. The umbilicu

Shell of the Week: The Adams Scale Snail

José H. Leal

Aug 9, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Adams Scale Snail

For the moment, Cochliolepis adamsii (P. Fischer, 1857) is the last in a long series of species of the family Tornidae covered in this column. It is also, in my opinion, one of the more elegant species of that micromollusk family, with its low-profile, disk-shaped shell. The sculpture consists of fine spiral lines, the umbilicus (“hole” on the bottom of the shell) is large, and is not closed by a callus. The aperture is slanted and the outer lip thin. The color is milk-white,

Shell of the Week: The Interrupted Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Jul 26, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Interrupted Vitrinella

Parviturboides interruptus (C.B. Adams, 1850) is a member of the microgastropod family Tornidae with ample distribution in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, and is found also along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only about 1.5 mm (about 0.06 inch) in diameter. The shell has a raised spire, and is covered by strong, raised spiral cords, that may number as many as 15 in the last whorl. The umbilicus is present, but small. The shell color is t

José H. Leal

Jul 5, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Gabb Vitrinella

Solariorbis infracarinatus (Gabb, 1881) is a member of the microgastropod family Tornidae with ample distribution in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, found also along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only about 2.0 mm (about 0.08 inch). The shell has a low spire, and the shell periphery (outer shell “edge”) bears a strong spiral keel. The shell base has about 4–5 spiral ribs, but the spire itself lacks any major, visible sculpture. The proto

Shell of the Week: The Terminal Vitrinella

José H. Leal

Jun 28, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Terminal Vitrinella

Originally described from Destin, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, Solariorbis terminalis (Pilsbry & McGinty, 1946) is yet another member of the microgastropod family Tornidae found also along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only 2.5 mm (about 0.1 inch). The shell has a low spire, the suture is well-defined, and the last whorl is rounded at the periphery (outer shell “edge”). The sculpture includes 4–5 spiral cords along the shell periphery. Th

Shell of the Week: The Jeanne Vitrinella

José H. Leal

May 24, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Jeanne Vitrinella

Cyclostremiscus jeannae Pilsbry & McGinty, 1946, is another very small local microgastropod in the family Tornidae. The rarely exceeds 2 mm (0.08 inch) in diameter, is flattened, compressed, with a sculpture of three strong spiral keels. The shell base is clearly delimited by the “lower” peripheral keel, with another keel delimiting the relatively large umbilicus. Shell color is white. The species was named after the late malacologist and specialist in Southwest Florida mollu

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Curator's Corner