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.

Shrinking Conch Shells?

Shells preserved in ancient middens throughout the planet are good evidence that humans have been eating seafood for thousands of years. And our fondness for hooking the largest fish, shucking the largest oysters, and netting that jumbo shrimp has probably been around since time immemorial. To test the hypothesis of whether intense foraging for larger versus smaller individuals of the same species may in the long run drive the species size to decrease, Alexis Sullivan (Penn State University) and

Shell of the Week: The Two-tooth Barrel Bubble

Giving continuity to our discussion of the local barrel bubbles, today I want to introduce the Two-tooth Barrel Bubble, Cylichnella bidentata (d’Orbigny, 1841). This small snail reaches 4 mm (0.16 inch), has a characteristic sunken spire, and the columella (viewed on the left side of the aperture, or opening) with two folds that at a glance look like two “teeth.” The aperture is flared in anterior direction (on bottom of the picture.)

Shell of the Week: The Cande Barrel Bubble

Last week I presented the little Channeled Barrel Bubble; today I want to introduce a is very similar species, the Cande Barrel Bubble, Acteocina candei (d’Orbigny, 1841). Although reaching comparable size (about 5 mm, or 0.2 inch), today’s species differs from the Channeled Barrel Bubble by having a slightly taller spire, more cylindrical shape, and by reproductive and anatomical differences.

Spotted Slipper Snail Eggs

Last week, Museum collaborator and Shell Ambassador Amy Tripp (Marco Island, Florida) brought to my attention a slipper snail she photographed at nearby Kice Island. The photo doesn’t show much of the shell, but clearly portrays a mass of egg capsules containing developing embryos. As I peeked at the photo, my first thought was “hmm, this is a female Common Atlantic Slipper, Crepidula fornicata, brooding her eggs.” However, a quick estimate of the number of eggs in each capsule told me I was wr

Shell of the Week: The Channeled Barrel Bubble

Acteocina canaliculata (Say, 1826) reaches only 5 mm (0.2 inch). The shell is thin, slightly pear-shaped, and the spire usually spans less than 1/5 of the shell length. The protoconch (larval shell, on top) is set at 90º to the adult shell. Barrel bubbles are cephalaspidean gastropods, and, as such, have a well-defined cephalic shield. Very similar to Acteocina candei (d’Orbigny, 1841), but this latter tends to have a taller spire, being more common in open-water locations. #acteocinacanaliculat

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