Last week I presented the little Channeled Barrel Bubble; today I want to introduce a is very similar species, the Cande Barrel Bubble, Acteocina candei (d’Orbigny, 1841). Although reaching comparable size (about 5 mm, or 0.2 inch), today’s species differs from the Channeled Barrel Bubble by having a slightly taller spire, more cylindrical shape, and by reproductive and anatomical differences.
Last week, Museum collaborator and Shell Ambassador Amy Tripp (Marco Island, Florida) brought to my attention a slipper snail she photographed at nearby Kice Island. The photo doesn’t show much of the shell, but clearly portrays a mass of egg capsules containing developing embryos. As I peeked at the photo, my first thought was “hmm, this is a female Common Atlantic Slipper, Crepidula fornicata, brooding her eggs.” However, a quick estimate of the number of eggs in each capsule told me I was wr
Acteocina canaliculata (Say, 1826) reaches only 5 mm (0.2 inch). The shell is thin, slightly pear-shaped, and the spire usually spans less than 1/5 of the shell length. The protoconch (larval shell, on top) is set at 90º to the adult shell. Barrel bubbles are cephalaspidean gastropods, and, as such, have a well-defined cephalic shield. Very similar to Acteocina candei (d’Orbigny, 1841), but this latter tends to have a taller spire, being more common in open-water locations. #acteocinacanaliculat
One of the most intriguing entries in the Museum collection is a single valve, or half-shell, of a freshwater Cockscomb Pearl Mussel, Cristaria plicata. Most freshwater bivalves have a hefty, internal layer of nacre on their shells. But in this case, the inside of the valve is embellished with a two-inch tall figurine, a "cultural pearl," or “pearl image,” of a long-bearded Chinese Sage. In historic China, such items were bestowed or sold to pilgrims visiting sacred shrines. In the old days, a p
Fenimorea moseri (Dall, 1889) is a local member of the family Drilliidae that may reach 30 mm (about 1.2 inches) in length. In larger shells, there are about ten whorls, and about 11 ribs per whorl. The interspaces between ribs are filled with a microsculpture of very narrow spiral lines. The posterior sinus, or “turrid notch”, is broad, curved. Color varies from a light pink to waxy-cream. #fenimoreamoseri #moserdrillia #drilliidae #sanibel
Earlier this week, one of our Museum Marine Biologists texted me a photo of an unknown, small snail. The snail was found in our Cold-water Touch Pool, along with two others of the same species. The shells are flat, about 10 mm (about 3/8”) across, with well-defined white spines set against a brick-red background. It just so happens that the little snails are the offspring of our resident Red Turban Snails, Pomaulax gibberosus (Dillwyn, 1817). As you can see from the images below, the young are s
Ammonites are a group of extinct marine mollusks that belong in the Cephalopoda, the same class that includes octopuses, squids, and nautiluses. Ammonites are known for their heavy, planispiral (“flat”) shells. They also include the largest shell known among mollusks, Parapuzosia seppenradensis, first found in 1895 in Germany, which reached at least 180 cm (about 5.9 feet) across. Despite their large size and apparent diversity through geological time, little is known about the anatomy and body
Starting on February 9, the Museum will be hosting the “H2O Art Exhibition” in partnership with the Alliance for the Arts (Fort Myers). The juried exhibition will include 66 works of art by local and non-local artists, each providing a distinctive artistic interpretation on the life-giving liquid and its importance to our planet. The exhibition is open during regular Museum hours with paid admission, and artworks will be available for sale. February 9 to April 30. #h2oexhibition #shellmuseum #a
The last of the Caecum series: another neglected local species of the family Caecidae, Caecum circumvolutum de Folin, 1867 has a tubular shell that rarely reaches beyond 2 mm (about 0.08 inch). The shell sculpture in this species shows a number of circular, very delicate grooves. The shell “plug” is pointy, asymmetrical. The shell color is white. The shell illustrated was collected by Dale V. Stingley in May 1954, on Sanibel. #caecumcircumvolutum #caecidae #veracruzcaecum #sanibel
Another small (and neglected) local species of the family Caecidae (the caecums), Caecum striatum de Folin, 1868 has a tubular shell that rarely reaches beyond 2.5 mm (about 0.1 inch). The shell is sometimes covered with a thin, light-brown periostracum. The shell sculpture in this species shows a number of lengthwise, delicate lines. The shell aperture (opening) is devoid of any ornaments or rings. The shell "plug" is blunt, hemispherical. The shell color is white. The image was taken with a Sc