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.

A Busy Dusky Cone Mom

Museum collaborator extraordinaire Amy Tripp photographed this Dusky Cone, Conasprella stearnsii, in the process of laying what will be the next generation of Dusky Cones. As most cone snails do, Dusky Cones release their eggs inside translucent egg capsules. The capsules provide a physical barrier between the eggs and embryos and the external environment, protecting them from sudden changes in water chemistry, and serving as a container for a nourishing brew known as intracapsular liquid. The D

Shell of the Week: The McGinty Cyphoma

Cyphoma mcgintyi Pilsbry, 1939 live in association with sea whips and sea fans, and can be found on the East Coast of Florida, the Caribbean, and parts of the Gulf of Mexico. The glossy, smooth nature of the shell results from the animal being able to completely envelop the shell with the soft mantle when active. The shell typically has faint tints of lilac or pink color. #mcgintycyphoma # cyphomamcginty #ovulidae #sanibel

Shell of the Week: The Scorched Mussel

Brachidontes exustus (Linnaeus, 1758) reaches about 25 mm (about one inch). The shell has a “semi-triangular” outline, with a sculpture of many very fine radial ribs that form minute denticles on the inner edge of the valves. The color is yellowish-brown to dark-brown, with the inner surface a metallic purple mottled with white. Genetic studies in the past have shown that what we consider to be the Scorched Mussel may consist of more than one species. #brachidontesexustus #scorchedmussel #mytili

Shell of the Week: The Southern Ribbed Mussel

Geukensia granosissima (G.B. Sowerby III, 1914) grows to about 75 mm (about 3 inches). The shell has a straight dorsal (“upper”) margin, with the beak at the anterior one quart. The posterior end is broad and the ventral (“lower”) margin is curved inward. Relatively strong radial (departing from the beak) ribs are characteristic of this species. The periostracum is thin, light- to dark-brown.#geukensiagranosissima #southernribbedmussel #sanibel #periostracum

Flamingo Tongue, Goth Lips!

A member of the family Ovulidae, the Flamingo Tongue, Cyphoma gibbosum (Linnaeus, 1758), is one of the most attractive shallow-water gastropods from the tropical western Atlantic Ocean. Flamingo Tongues live on gorgonians (sea fans, sea whips, and relatives), feeding on the polyps of those colonial organisms. This photo, taken underwater off Long Key, in the Florida Keys, highlights its colorful mantle, foot, and head, with the remarkable black "lips"!

Black Water Beauty

This beautiful image of an Oxygyrus inflatus snail was shot by Simone Matucci off Kailua-Kona, a township on the island of Hawaii. Oxygyrus inflatus snails reach only about 10 mm (0.4 mm) in size, spending their entire lives in open water. They have very large eyes and a single swimming fin. Their transparent and flexible shells are not very calcified. The shells of open-water mollusks are usually very thin, light, but still very strong and resilient. Simone Matucci specializes in black-water ph

OctoCam Goes Live!

Our OctoCam livestream enables you to view our Giant Pacific Octopus swimming, eating, and playing in its aquarium in real-time.The OctoCam is made possible by generous donations from our Presenting Sponsor, The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company. Donations enable the Museum to provide exceptional nutrition, water quality, and veterinary care - all of which is critical to the overall health and welfare of our Giant Pacific Octopus. Check out the Octocam here!

Shell of the Week: The Green Mussel

Perna viridis (Linnaeus, 1758) has been accidentally introduced from New Zealand to the East Coast of the USA, part of the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. This species grows to about 90 mm (about 3.5 inches). The ventral (“lower”) margin of the shell is straight or slightly concave, the posterior end rounded. The periostracum may be very flaky in dried shells. The shell is brown externally with green tinges at and around margins. The shell interior is nacreous, whitish or light-purple.#pe

Shell of the Week: The American Horse Mussel

Modiolus americanus (Leach, 1815) grows to about 100 mm (about 4 inches!) in parts of the its distribution range. The brown periostracum is heavy and flaky. This species resembles last week’s Shell of the Week, the Southern Mussel. They differ, however, by the usually larger size, much more “obese” shell, and presence of orange and pink hues internally and externally in the shell of the American Horse Mussel. The Southern Horse Mussel has a “skinnier” shell and generally bluish-purple color insi

Seeing Eye to Eye!

When I first saw this image, I thought of the famous “mirror scene” in the Marx’s Brothers 1933 movie “Duck Soup,” in which Harpo pretends to be Groucho’s reflection in a non-existent mirror. The routine went on for a few comical minutes, after which Grouch finally realized he was being fooled by the intruding Harpo. But in this great image by Senior Aquarist Carly Hulse we have two of our conchs, a young Queen Conch (Aliger gigas) on the left and a Milk Conch (Macrostrombus costatus) on the rig