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.

The Green Mussel Pops Up Again!

During the latest Live Mollusk Count promoted by the National Shell Museum & Aquarium on March 11, organizer and Associate Director of Education Jorden Falker found two complete shells (paired valves) of the Green Mussel (Perna viridis). The shells, found at low tide on the east end of Sanibel Island, were discovered tangled in seaweed. The hinged shell and remnants of the soft bivalves’ bodies inside hint that the mussels died recently and came from a nearby location.   Perna viridis  shells from Lighthouse Beach, Sanibel, Florida. Illustration:…

Lucines of Southwest Florida

Do you know the Southwest Florida shallow-water lucines (family Lucinidae)? Here they are (1) Buttercup Lucine (Anodontia alba); (2) Dosinia-like Lucine (Callucina keenae); (3) Three-ridged Lucine (Cavilinga blanda); (4) Dwarf Tiger Lucine (Ctena orbiculata); (5) Cross-hatched Lucine (Divalinga quadrisulcata); (6) Pennsylvania Lucine (Lucina pensylvanica); (7) Woven Lucine (Lucinisca nassula); (8) Many-lined Lucine (Parvilucina crenella); (9) Chalky Lucine (Pegophysema schrammi); (10) Thick Lucine (Phacoides pectinatus); Miniature Lucine (Radiolucina amianta); (12) Florida Lucine (Stewartia floridana). The individual photos are not…

Shell of the Week: The Antilles Murex

Siratus articulatus is a shallow- to moderately deep-water Muricidae species living in the tropical western Atlantic, including the east coast of Florida, Florida Keys, and the Caribbean south to northeastern Brazil in depths between 16–400 m (about 52 to 1312 ft). Shells of this species can reach 95 mm (about 3.75 inches) in length, showing high degrees of variation in color and sculpture strength, in particular the size of spines and varices (the ridges that appear occasionally on the shell). The shell in this photo was collected off Sugarloaf Key…

The Floor Tiles at the Sanibel Community House

I have been intrigued by the new (post-Hurricane Ian), charming floor tiles at the entrance lobby of the Sanibel Community House (Sanibel, Florida). They are resin tiles with embedded shells deployed in cross-sections (see diagram on bottom image). The larger cross-sectional pieces clearly parade Queen Conch (Aliger gigas) attributes: The pink layer inside the aperture (shell opening), the large shell knobs, and the flared lip are all shell features of that majestic species. When on Sanibel, take a break to examine the SCH tiles and complement your visit by…

Cockles of Southwest Florida

Do you know the cockles (family Cardiidae) from Southwest Florida? They are: (1) Little Dove Strawberry Cockle (Americardia columbella); (2) Yellow Egg Cockle (Laevicardium mortoni); (3) Florida Prickly Cockle (Trachycardium egmontianum); (4) Atlantic Giant Cockle (Dinocardium robustum); (5) Yellow Prickle Cockle (Dallocardia muricata); (6) Broad Paper Cockle (Papyridea lata); (7) Painted Egg Cockle (Laevicardium pictum); (8) Common Egg Cockle (Laevicardium angmagsalikense). The photos are not to scale. As usual, click on each scientific name…

Shell of the Week: The Cancellate Cone

Conus cancellatus reaches 80 mm (3.15 inches); its shell presents alternating narrower and wider spiral ridges. The color is very variable, from pure white to patterns of brown bands or spots. A periostracum (organic outer shell layer) may be light yellow to dark brown and may present rows of long hairs on the spiral ribs of the last shell whorl. The species has a very broad geographic range, living from the northern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Caribbean, through southern Brazil.   Conus cancellatus for off Cape San Blas, Florida.

picture of a shell with the words

Shell Growth and Repair

Another cool production from ChangingSeas.tv  (WPBT, South Florida PBS) starring yours truly, this one a short clip about shell growth...

Ark Clams of Southwest Florida

Here is a sampling of the ark clams and their relatives (families Arcidae and Noetiidae) living along the coast of Southwest Florida. In the family Arcidae: (1) Turkey Wing (Arca zebra); Mossy Ark (Lamarcka imbricata); (3) Transverse Ark (Anadara transversa); (4) Cut-ribbed Ark (Anadara secticostata); (5) Red-brown Ark (Barbatia cancellaria); (6) Delicate Ark (Fugleria tenera). In the family Noetiidae: (7) Ponderous Ark (Noetia ponderosa); (8) Adams’s Miniature Ark (Arcopsis adamsi). The individual photos are not to scale and, as usual, click on…

Shell of the Week: The Flame Auger

Terebra taurina is certainly the largest species of auger snail (family Terebridae) in the western Atlantic, reaching more than 180 mm (7 inches) in length. Its shell is robust, with a well-defined suture (the groove between adjacent whorls) and a color pattern of elongated brownish spots set against a cream-white background.  Auger snails are predators, injecting a cocktail of toxins into their prey using their hypodermic-needle-like radular teeth, in the same manner as their cousins, the cone snails. The species has a broad geographic distribution, living from Florida throughout the Caribbean,…

Imposex in the Horse Conch

National Shell Museum staff’s article* on imposex in the Horse Conch (Triplofusus giganteus) from the Florida Panhandle was published this week in the Bulletin of Marine Science. Imposex is an irreversible disorder in female marine snails caused by compounds present in anti-fouling paints used on boats and ships. Exposed females can develop non-functioning male reproductive structures, including formation of a pseudo-penis. Other harmful conditions such as limited production of eggs and sterility follow, and some of the affected snails may die prematurely.  Triplofusus giganteus in the…