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 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...

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…

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,…

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…

Scallops of Southwest Florida. Photos by José H. Leal except for number 6 by James F. Kelly.

Scallops of Southwest Florida

It's scallops time! These are the scallops (family Pectinidae) that may be found on the shores of Southwest Florida: 1 – Atlantic Calico...

Shell of the Week: The Green-based Tegula

Agathistoma excavatum reaches 18 mm (approximately 0.7 inch). The typical trochiform shape is complemented by a concave (“excavated”, hence the species-name ending) base, which sometimes can show a greenish color. The species is found in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida Keys. The shell illustrated was found on Captiva Island on a stormy day in October 2021 by Lisa Johnstone. Its presence on the local beaches had not been registered before, and this first record for Captiva should, as usual in cases like this, be considered with caution.

The 2025 Live Mollusk Count

The 2025 Live Mollusk Count took place on Sanibel Island last January 12, achieving very good results. The number of participants, methods, and count area were comparable to Live Mollusk Counts done in the recent past. The Live Mollusk Counts have been organized by the National Shell Museum & Aquarium (under the leadership of Associate Director of Education Jorden Falker) in collaboration with the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club (under the leadership of Debi McBroom.) A West Indies Fighting Conch at West Gulf Drive beach access #1, on Sanibel. Photo: Maria Gonzalez.

Wentletraps of Southwest Florida

Wentletraps (family Epitoniidae) are everlasting favorites here in Southwest Florida. Today I present a selection of species found on the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva islands: (1) Bladed Wentletrap (Epitonium albidum); (2) Dall’s Wentletrap (Cirsotrema dalli); (3) Angulate Wentletrap (Epitonium angulatum); (4) Humphrey’s Wentletrap (Epitonium humphreysii); (5) New England Wentletrap (Epitonium novangliae); (6) Matthews’s Wentletrap (Epitonium matthewsae); (7) Leal’s Wentletrap (Epitonium leali); (8) Brown-band Wentletrap (Gyroscala rupicola); (9) Tollin’s Wentletrap (Epitonium tollini). The individual photos are not at the same scale;…