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.

Our Collection Milestones

Today we submitted the Final Performance Report for our most recent collection cataloguing grant, which ended on March 31st. The Museum received two successive grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to complete processing and cataloguing the backlog of its scientific collection and gain full intellectual control over the collection holdings. IMLS funding enabled the Museum to hire specialized staff to work on the project. The first grant ran from October 2012 through S

A Radical Radula

Frightened yet? Gastropods and other mollusks use an organ called radula to initiate feeding. Using the radula, which consists of rows of hardened teeth, different kinds of mollusks can scrape food, graze on microalgae, or drill holes into a bivalve shell in preparation for a fresh clam meal! Cone snails use their radular teeth as “hypodermic harpoons” to inject potent cocktails of toxins to paralyze their prey, which may include fish. The photos show the radula of the Magellan Volute, Odontocym

Great Talks at COA 2019

The 2019 COA Convention included great and diverse programs organized by Carole Marshall. One of them was “Black Water Mollusks,” by Linda Ianniello, who takes photos of pelagic (open-water) marine creatures while drift-diving at night in the Gulf Stream off South Florida and other world destinations. Among many stunning and informative images, she presented the photo on left of a veliger gastropod larva, photographed in the Philippines. The larva has a pair of bilobed vela, which helps with l

Shell of the Week: The Terminal Vitrinella

Originally described from Destin, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, Solariorbis terminalis (Pilsbry & McGinty, 1946) is yet another member of the microgastropod family Tornidae found also along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only 2.5 mm (about 0.1 inch). The shell has a low spire, the suture is well-defined, and the last whorl is rounded at the periphery (outer shell “edge”). The sculpture includes 4–5 spiral cords along the shell periphery. The aperture is rounde

Conchologists of America 2019

The 2019 Conchologists of America Convention took place last week, on Captiva Island, a few miles from the Museum. The convention was a huge success, with well-attended sessions, silent auctions, field trips, and a number of different activities and gatherings. The oral auction of shells and related items raises funds to sponsor the bulk of the COA Academic Grants Program, which this year awarded $25,900 to 15 students. This year’s convention celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Museum’s Fo

Shell of the Week: The Cupola Vitrinella

The Cupola Vitrinella, Anticlimax pilsbryi (McGinty, 1945) is one of the most distinctive members of the microgastropod family Tornidae found along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only about 3 mm (about 0.12 inch). As the common name implies, its shell is shaped like a cupola, with a strongly convex spire and relatively flat base. The shell sculpture consists of well-defined spiral lines consisting each of a microscopic zig-zag pattern. The base has a similar s

Our New Parking Lot

The Museum renovation is proceeding within schedule. The new parking lot has been graded, paved, and is basically ready for use. Plans for the renovation do not include expansion beyond the original Museum and parking lot footprint; those of you who remember the original boundaries of the parking lot will notice that these were not affected or modified. Click here to help us get the renovation project across the finish line!

Meet the Digital Imaging Specialists

James Kelly and Patricia Starkey (left and center, with José H. Leal) work at the Museum shooting photos of collection specimens for our 2.5-year Digital Imaging Project. The project, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, aims to increase accessibility of collection items via our online catalog and other web resources. James and Patricia both have backgrounds in photography and data management, and area super-proficient in the different computer applications involved in digital

The Rosy Wolf Snail

The Rosy Wolf Snail, Euglandina rosea (Férrusac, 1818), is a land snail native to Central America and parts of the southeastern United States, including Florida. This mollusk-eating species was intentionally introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-20th century, in a failed and disastrous attempt to eradicate the invasive Giant African Snail, Lissachatina fulica (Férrusac, 1821). The introduced species did not accomplish what was expected: the Giant African Snail continued to thrive in Hawa

Shell of the Week: The Bales Vitrinella

Originally described from the east coast of Florida and Florida Keys, Pseudomalaxis balesi Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945 is another member of the microgastropod family Tornidae found along the coast of Southwest Florida. Larger shells of the species reach only 1.8 mm (about 0.06 inch). As with many vitrinellas, its shell is disk-shaped, compressed, but the whorl profile in this species is squarish (edges of shell are squarish in side view). The shell sculpture consists of fine spiral lines and strong,