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.

Cultural Pearls

One of the most intriguing entries in the Museum collection is a single valve, or half-shell, of a freshwater Cockscomb Pearl Mussel, Cristaria plicata. Most freshwater bivalves have a hefty, internal layer of nacre on their shells. But in this case, the inside of the valve is embellished with a two-inch tall figurine, a "cultural pearl," or “pearl image,” of a long-bearded Chinese Sage. In historic China, such items were bestowed or sold to pilgrims visiting sacred shrines. In the old days, a p

Shell of the Week: The Moser Drillia

Fenimorea moseri (Dall, 1889) is a local member of the family Drilliidae that may reach 30 mm (about 1.2 inches) in length. In larger shells, there are about ten whorls, and about 11 ribs per whorl. The interspaces between ribs are filled with a microsculpture of very narrow spiral lines. The posterior sinus, or “turrid notch”, is broad, curved. Color varies from a light pink to waxy-cream. #fenimoreamoseri #moserdrillia #drilliidae #sanibel

Our Red Turban Snails Multiplied!

Earlier this week, one of our Museum Marine Biologists texted me a photo of an unknown, small snail. The snail was found in our Cold-water Touch Pool, along with two others of the same species. The shells are flat, about 10 mm (about 3/8”) across, with well-defined white spines set against a brick-red background. It just so happens that the little snails are the offspring of our resident Red Turban Snails, Pomaulax gibberosus (Dillwyn, 1817). As you can see from the images below, the young are s

Ammonite Body Parts Revealed

Ammonites are a group of extinct marine mollusks that belong in the Cephalopoda, the same class that includes octopuses, squids, and nautiluses. Ammonites are known for their heavy, planispiral (“flat”) shells. They also include the largest shell known among mollusks, Parapuzosia seppenradensis, first found in 1895 in Germany, which reached at least 180 cm (about 5.9 feet) across. Despite their large size and apparent diversity through geological time, little is known about the anatomy and body

H2O Art Exhibition

Starting on February 9, the Museum will be hosting the “H2O Art Exhibition” in partnership with the Alliance for the Arts (Fort Myers). The juried exhibition will include 66 works of art by local and non-local artists, each providing a distinctive artistic interpretation on the life-giving liquid and its importance to our planet. The exhibition is open during regular Museum hours with paid admission, and artworks will be available for sale. February 9 to April 30. #h2oexhibition #shellmuseum #a

Shell of the Week: The Vera Cruz Caecum

The last of the Caecum series: another neglected local species of the family Caecidae, Caecum circumvolutum de Folin, 1867 has a tubular shell that rarely reaches beyond 2 mm (about 0.08 inch). The shell sculpture in this species shows a number of circular, very delicate grooves. The shell “plug” is pointy, asymmetrical. The shell color is white. The shell illustrated was collected by Dale V. Stingley in May 1954, on Sanibel. #caecumcircumvolutum #caecidae #veracruzcaecum #sanibel

Shell of the Week: The Striate Caecum

Another small (and neglected) local species of the family Caecidae (the caecums), Caecum striatum de Folin, 1868 has a tubular shell that rarely reaches beyond 2.5 mm (about 0.1 inch). The shell is sometimes covered with a thin, light-brown periostracum. The shell sculpture in this species shows a number of lengthwise, delicate lines. The shell aperture (opening) is devoid of any ornaments or rings. The shell "plug" is blunt, hemispherical. The shell color is white. The image was taken with a Sc

Shell of the Week: The Multicostate Caecum

Another small (and neglected) local species of the family Caecidae (the caecums), Caecum multicostatum de Folin, 1867 has a tubular shell that rarely reaches beyond 2 mm (about 0.08 inch). The shell sculpture in this species shows a number of lengthwise, delicate ridges. The shell aperture (opening) is encircled by ring-like cords. The shell "plug" is blunt, hemispherical. The shell color is white or tan. The top image was taken with a Scanning Electron Microscope. #caecummulticostatum #caecidae

A Warty Sea Slug

The Warty Dendrodoridid, Dendrodoris warta Marcus & Gallagher, 1976, is a large local nudibranch (a shell-less gastropod) that may reach 120 mm (about 4.7 inches). The species is found in shallow water along the western coast of Florida, and the coast of Georgia. Warty Dendrodoridids have prominent knob-like tubercles scattered over its "back". The species is known to feed on encrusting sponges. The photo was taken by Amy Tripp, on Kice Island, Florida. #dendrodoriswarta #wartydendrodoridid #den

Mollusks and Ocean Acidification, Encore

A study published this month in the journal Science Reports shows that open-water gastropods known as sea butterflies (Limacina helicina) living along colder, more acidic, coastal waters make thinner shells when compared to their relatives from offshore waters. Some snails of this species growing in acidic, carbon dioxide-rich water actually show clear signs of dissolution. This again confirms a couple of decades of studies showing that ocean acidification affects shell-making and the ultimate s