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 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,

José H. Leal

Mar 1, 2019

Shell of the Week: The Plicate Mangelia

At 6 mm in length, Pyrgocythara plicosa (C.B. Adams, 1850) is one of the local small-sized gastropods. The shell is elongate-fusiform, with the spire (coiled part minus last whorl) measuring about half shell length. The sculpture consists of 11−12 strong axial ribs crossed by about 5−6 spiral cords. The aperture has a strong indentation on the internal side of outer lip, and shell color is light-brown to reddish-brown, with bluish-white remnants of a periostracum. The Plicat

José H. Leal

Nov 3, 2017

The Semisulcate Moon Snail

There are locally at least eight shallow-water species of the Moon Snail family Naticidae. The half-inch long Semisulcate Moon Snail, Sigatica semisulcata (J.E. Gray, 1839) is the second smallest of them. (The smallest is the Miniature Moon Snail, Tectonatica pusilla, measuring only about ¼ inch.) Semisulcate Moon Snails have egg-shaped, almost always pure-white shells. The species distinguishing feature, other than its relatively small size, is the presence of 2–6 incised

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Curator's Corner