Shell of the Week: The Virgin Nerite
At 12 mm (about 0.5 inch), Vitta virginea (Linnaeus, 1758) is another small nerite with rounded, smooth shell. The parietal shield (the...
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.