Shell of the Week: The Flame Helmet
Cassis flammea is the third and smallest of the three species of the genus Cassis found in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean. It may reach 154 mm in length :...
Curator’s Corner
Museum, research, and collection updates from Dr. José H. Leal, plus Shell of the Week, which highlights a different species every other Friday. Most Shells of the Week are found in Southwest Florida.
Dr. José H. Leal serves as the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium’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.
Exhibit Shells and Their Mounts
The shells on display in the newly refurbished Great Hall of Shells at the National Shell Museum & Aquarium are held in place by custom-made mounts ...
The Nautilus: The Malacological Collections Issue
The new issue of the Museum’s scientific journal, The Nautilus, is being published today, October 31. It brings together the historical accounts ....
Deep Sea in the Great Hall!
I thought you’d like to know that we are presenting a new exhibit on Deep-sea Mollusks at the National Shell Museum & Aquarium’s renovated Great Hall...
Teinostomatids of Southwest Florida
Another one for the micromollusk fans out there! Here are some of the vitrinellas in the microgastropod family Teinostomatidae from Southwest Florida: ...
Shell of the Week: The Flame Auger
The photo shows a living Terebra taurina photographed by Mark W Johnson in April 2019 at a depth of approximately 20 m (65 feet) on dark sand...
The Tusk Shells of Southwest Florida
Here are the tusk shells (families Dentaliidae and Fustiariidae, class Scaphopoda) living along the coast of Southwest Florida. In the family Dentaliidae:....
FUM 2026 – Save the Date!
A gentle reminder: The next meeting of Florida United Malacologists (FUM) will take place at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, Sanibel Island, Florida, on Saturday...
Shell of the Week: The Roostertail Conch
Aliger gallus is one of the true conchs in the family Strombidae. It is closely related to the renowned Queen Conch, Aliger gigas. The Roostertail Conch gets its name from ...
Our Poster at the 2025 AZA Annual Convention
This week, at the 2025 Annual Conference of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums in Tampa, Florida, aquarists Carly Hulse and Claire D’Agostino presented work...