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 Dall Wentletrap Revisited

Cirsotrema dalli Rehder, 1945 can reach more than 30 mm (about 1.2 inches). It has a chalky shell surface with ribs and a background pattern of spiral cords, with about 2-3 thicker ribs per whorl. Species in this genus display an outer shell layer called intritacalx, which easily wears off in older shells. The Dall Wentletrap is more commonly found in deeper water. The species is rarely found on Sanibel and Captiva,#cirsotremadalli #dallwentletrap #epitoniidae #drytortugas #florida

Carnivore Dilemma

Most bivalve mollusks are filter-feeders, straining water to get their food, usually microscopic plants. Exceptions to this include marine clams that prey on small creatures, such as crustaceans. Some of these clams, the septibranchs, use a flexible, muscular "wall", or septum, as a diaphragm pump that allows the animal to quickly and decisively suck prey in. The inch-long Specter Clam, Dilemma spectralis Leal, 2008 (below), a deep-sea dweller found off Vanuatu in the SW Pacific, is one of them.

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