Author Archives: José H. Leal

Shell of the Week: The Florida Auger

Reaching 68 mm (about 2.7 inches) in size, Terebra floridana (Dall, 1889) is one of the largest species of auger snails in the western Atlantic. Augers are usually found in the sand close to the water edge, in medium- to coarse-sand habitats, where they feed on marine worms, but the Florida Auger is found in deeper water off both coasts of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Augers are closely related to cone snails and, like them, use their radula teeth, which are like tiny harpoons, to inject veno

A Very Special Sea Slug!

A sea slug that lives in open water, looks like a fish, and glows in the dark? That is Phylliroe bucephala, a transparent, three inches-long nudibranch mollusk that can be found swimming in the upper layers of the open ocean throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical ocean regions. This image, by black-water diver and photographer Linda Ianiello of West Palm Beach, Florida, shows the sea slug feeding on a jellyfish, possibly a Aequorea species. A few amphipod crustaceans can be seen within

Shell of the Week: The Bladed Wentletrap

Reaching 18 mm (about 0.7 inches) in size, Epitonium albidum (d’Orbigny, 1842) has a thin, light shell with a sculpture of 10–14 sharp, delicate, blade-like ribs (known as “costae”). Unlike other local wentletrap species, the ribs on the Bladed Wentletrap bear no hooks or projections. The ribs on successive whorls are aligned, forming slanted “rows.” The shell in the image is from the Bahamas, but the species is also found on Sanibel and other parts of Florida, including the Florida Keys. A larg

Shell of the Week: The Flame Cone

The Flame Cone, Conasprella delessertii Récluz, 1843 is found from North Carolina south to both sides of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula. The species is known also as Delessert’s Cone or Sozon’s Cone. Alan Kohn, in his book on cone snails from the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean, observed that the species “ranges as far north on the Atlantic coast of the United States as any other Conus species.” It reaches 100 mm (about 4 inches), and the color pattern consists of thr

The Fearless Slipper Snail

Is that Spotted Slipper Snail safe piggybacking on the operculum of a young Horse Conch? When feeding, the conch extends out of its shell. Consequently, the operculum will be on the opposite end of the head (and mouth), as that hard structure is permanently attached onto the rear part of the foot. So, in spite of the alluring “smells” emanating from the slipper snail, it’d be virtually impossible for the conch to reach back and eat it, as long as the latter remains attached. And, in that sweet s

Shell of the Week: The Lightweight Murex

Favartia levicula (Dall, 1889) was collected at around 110 ft depth and photographed by me aboard the Research Vessel W.T. Hogarth during a recent Gulf of Mexico research cruise led by Dr. Greg Herbert of the University of South Florida. Although the shell illustrated measures about 12 mm, the species is known to reach 18 mm in height. The Lightweight Murex has an elegant sculpture of elegant, “upturned” spines. The identification of the species was confirmed by my friend and colleague Roland Ho

Shell of the Week: The Mace Cone

Reaching 40 mm in size, Conasprella armiger (Crosse, 1858), is one of the most attractive cone snails in the tropical western Atlantic. The species has been found in depths between 35 and 227 m (115 and 745 feet). Its shell has a very narrow anterior region and canal, which makes look like the medieval weapon that gives the species its common name. #conasprellaarmiger #conidae #macecone #keywest

Shell of the Week: The Royal Bonnet

The elegant Royal Bonnet, Sconsia grayi A. Adams, 1855, is a close relative of the famous Scotch Bonnet, Semicassis granulata. The Royal Bonnet, however, dwells in deeper water than the Scotch Bonnet, living at depths from 27−640 m (about 90−2,100 ft.) The species may reach 50 mm (about 2 inches) in length. The immature shell illustrated measures about 30 mm (or 1.2 inches.) It was collected (dredged) in early October during the 2021 Northeastern Gulf of Mexico Cruise led by Dr. Greg Herbert of

Meanwhile, out in the Gulf of Mexico…

The weather may be lousy, the seas may be rough, but, to me, nothing compares to working aboard a ship doing field research on marine mollusks, sharing the findings with others, and learning from the experience. And this is what I did for four days last week, joining a short cruise led by Dr. Greg Herbert (University of South Florida, Tampa) to the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, mostly following a track (or transect) due southwest of Carrabelle, Florida. For more than ten years, Dr. Herbert has be

Shell of the Week: The Flat Tree Oyster

Not a true oyster, Isognomon alatus (Gmelin, 1791) is a rare find along the coast of Southwest Florida, with very few examples from our immediate area present in the larger American museum collections. The species is common in the Tampa Bay area and along the east coast of Florida. There are a couple of holdings in our collection from Marco Island, but only recently we confirmed the presence of the species in Lee County. Lorin Buckner found and photographed a couple of Flat Tree Oysters near San