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.

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

Shell of the Week: The Banded Transennella

Transennella stimpsoni Dall, 1902 reaches 14 mm in length. The rounded-trigonal shell is smooth except for very low commarginal (“concentric”) ridges. The shell color is usually white, often with brown or violet chevron-like markings, internally infused with purple. The outer shell layer, or periostracum, is varnish-like, yellowish. Compare with the locally occurring Transennella conradina, which is more pointed posteriorly and lacks the purple color. Also known as Stimpson's Transennella. This

The Locally Elusive Flat Tree Oyster

For years I’ve been searching for signs of the Flat Tree Oyster in our area. Not a true oyster, Isognomon alatus (Gmelin, 1791) is a rare find along the coast of Southwest Florida, with very few examples present (single digits) among the larger American museum collections. The species is found throughout the Caribbean, the Keys, and 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 Coun

Shell of the Week: The Hairy Triton

Monoplex pilearis (Linnaeus, 1758) is a relatively common tropical western Atlantic species that is also present in the tropical Indian and Pacific oceans, including Polynesia and Hawaii. Hairy Tritons may reach 140 mm (5.5 inches) in some parts of its distribution. The long-lasting pelagic (open-water) larvae in the species allow for ocean crossing at the larval stage, one of the reasons for its broad geographical distribution. You can see the larval shell preserved as the protoconch (at the ap