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 Beau’s Vitrinella

Beau's Vitrinella, Cyclostremiscus beauii (P. Fisher, 1857), at about 12 mm in diameter (about 0.5 inch), is most likely the largest local member of the micro-gastropod family Tornidae, commonly known as Vitrinellas. Small sizes, sometimes never reaching beyond 1/8 inch, and strong similarity among species render Vitrinellas difficult to study, but the "larger" size, characteristically "keeled" shell outline, and typical spiral cords make Beau's Vitrinella relatively easy to identify. This speci

The File Fleshy Limpet

The File Fleshy Limpet, Lucapinella limatula (Reeve, 1850), is one of the three species of Keyhole Limpets (family Fissurellidae) that may be found along the barrier island of Southwest Florida. It has a relatively small shell (about 10 mm, or a little less than an inch), with a relatively large "keyhole" orifice. As in other Keyhole Limpets, the orifice helps direct waste water away from the snail's head and gills. File Fleshy Limpets have "rays" of colors ranging from red to brown set against

The Delicate Ark

The Delicate Ark, Fugleria tenera (C.B. Adams, 1845), is an uncommon western Atlantic member of the Arcidae, a family of marine bivalves that also includes the Turkey Wing and the Transverse Ark, among others. The delicate Ark may reach slightly more than one inch (25 mm) in size. It differs from others, related species by its thin shell, with an alternating pattern of thicker and thinner radial ribs, which are in turn crossed by concentric ridges. Living delicate Arks have a hairy, rich periost

The Meta Keyhole Limpet

The Meta Keyhole Limpet, Diodora meta (Ihering, 1927), is a locally rare and elusive gastropod, also found in other parts of the Gulf of Mexico and of the western Atlantic Ocean. Its shell measures about 12 mm (0.5 inch), and has a roundish “keyhole” orifice that distinguishes the species from others in the area. Keyhole Limpets cling to hard surfaces; the orifice helps redirect water containing body wastes away from the head and gills of the animal. The Shell Museum collection has only two shel

The Atlantic Necklace Turrid

The Atlantic Necklace Turrid, Pilsbryspira monilis (Bartsch & Rehder, 1939), is a predatory gastropod, moderately uncommon on Sanibel and Captiva islands. The species reaches about 15 mm (0.6 inch); the shell is slender, brown, with small white beads forming a spiral “necklace-like” pattern (hence the scientific name of the species, monilis, meaning necklace, or string of beads, in Latin.) The Atlantic Necklace Turrid shell aperture (opening) forms an indentation at its posterior end (photo on

The Giant Tun

The Giant Tun, Tonna galea (Linnaeus, 1758) is a large gastropod, with a shell that may reach in excess of 150 mm (6 inches). The shell globose, with a short spire, and ornamented with around 20 spiral, strong but flat ridges. A thin shell allows ridges to show on its internal surface. The Giant Tun has a broad distribution in tropical and subtropical areas of the world’s ocean. The species includes a long-lasting, free-living (planktonic) larval stage that allows dispersal via currents over lar

The Dall Wentletrap

Dall Wentletrap, Cirsotrema dalli Rehder, 1945, can reach more than 30 mm (about 1.2 inches). It has a chalky shell surface with ribs and a background pattern of spiral cords. In addition, about 2-3 thicker ribs per whorl are present in this species. Species in this genus display an outer shell layer called intritacalx, which easily wears off in older shells. Dall Wentletrap is more commonly found in deeper water. The shell on the left, measuring a little more than an inch, was collected in 201

The Truncatellas

The coast of Southwest Florida hosts two species of the small-sized snail genus Truncatella: The Caribbean Truncatella, Truncatella caribaeensis Reeve, 1842 (maximum size 9 mm, or slightly more than 1/3 inch), and the Beautiful Truncatella, Truncatella pulchella Pfeiffer, 1839 (maximum size 0.65 mm, or about 1/4 inch). Truncatellas derive from marine ancestors but have adapted to live almost completely independently from the marine environment, except for the moment of fertilization, when male m

The Bruised Nassa and its Egg Capsules

I last covered the Bruised Nassa, Nassarius vibex (Say, 1822), in this column on September 4, 2015. On that occasion, I mentioned that the habitats preferred by the species are the sandy-mud and mud flats of the back-bay areas that are so common in our part of the coast. I also mentioned the scavenging feeding habits of the species: Bruised Nassas are like “little vultures,” gathering in large numbers to feed on the dead bodies and remains of small marine creatures. Recently, Museum collaborator

The Pigmy Octopus

Octopuses are shell-less mollusks of the class Cephalopoda. One of the local species is the Pigmy Octopus, Octopus joubini Robson, 1929, a species rarely surpassing 5 inches in size. Given their relatively small size, Pigmy Octopuses are capable of temporarily seeking shelter inside empty shells of large gastropods (e.g., Lightning Whelks, Tulips) or bivalves (e.g., Giant Cockles, Quahogs, Pen Shells). Members of this small species, in particular females guarding their eggs, are known to inflict