About the Southwest Florida Shell Guide
This guide presents species of marine mollusks from Southwest Florida, focusing on the islands of Sanibel and Captiva, and extending farther south to the Ten Thousand Islands and north to Tampa Bay. The first version of this guide was posted online in 1998. Most specimens illustrated (but not all) reside in the collection of the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, and all specimens originated from the study area. The guide is augmented and updated on a regular basis, so please make sure to check back here often. I am indebted to many individuals who consistently supported this effort by providing materials, facts, photos, editorial advice, and suggestions over more than twenty years. I am particularly indebted to Rüdiger Bieler, Lorin Buckner, Lois Dunnam, Jorden Falk, Phil Fallon, Emilio F. García, Leonard Geyer, John Greenlaw, Greg Herbert, Kelsey Hausmann, Susan J. Hewitt, Marcus Huber, Marlo Krisberg, Harry G. Lee, Barry McBroom, Rebecca Mensch, Paula M. Mikkelsen, Jake Mitchell, Kim Nealon, Bruce Neville, Ann Palmer, Harold Payson, Ken and Alice Piech, Hal Pilcher, Michael Reardon, Steve Rosenthal, James Scatterday, Bruce Schulz, Phyllis Sharp, Linda Shockley, Amy Tripp, and Ángel Valdés. Despite their generous assistance to this project, any shortcomings are my own. This resource was supported in part by grants
IMLS MA 05-12-0450-12, IMLS MA 30-15-0276-15 (both from Institute of Museum and Library Services), and NSF TCN 2001528 (National Science Foundation.)
Happy Shelling,
José H. Leal, Ph.D.
Science Director & Curator
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Filter by Family: - Select to filter - Family Acanthochitonidae Family Acteonidae Family Aeolidiidae Family Anatinellidae Family Anomiidae Family Aplysiidae Family Arcidae Family Areneidae Family Basterotiidae Family Batillariidae Family Buccinidae Family Bullidae Family Busyconidae Family Caecidae Family Calliostomatidae Family Calyptraeidae Family Cancellariidae Family Cardiidae Family Carditidae Family Cassidae Family Cerithiidae Family Cerithiopsidae Family Chaetopleuridae Family Chamidae Family Chromodorididae Family Clathurellidae Family Colubrariidae Family Columbellidae Family Conidae Family Corbulidae Family Costasiellidae Family Crassatellidae Family Cuspidariidae Family Cymatiidae Family Cyrenidae Family Dendrodorididae Family Dentaliidae Family Discodorididae Family Donacidae Family Dreissenidae Family Drilliidae Family Ellobiidae Family Epitoniidae Family Eulimidae Family Facelinidae Family Fasciolariidae Family Ficidae Family Fissurellidae Family Fustiariidae Family Gastrochaenidae Family Glaucidae Family Glycymerididae Family Haminoeidae Family Harpidae Family Hipponicidae Family Lasaeidae Family Limidae Family Litiopidae Family Littorinidae Family Lucinidae Family Lyonsiidae Family Mactridae Family Mangeliidae Family Margaritidae Family Marginellidae Family Melongenidae Family Modulidae Family Muricidae Family Myidae Family Mytilidae Family Nassariidae Family Naticidae Family Neritidae Family Noetiidae Family Notarchidae Family Nuculanidae Family Nuculidae Family Octopodidae Family Olividae Family Onchidiidae Family Ostreidae Family Ovulidae Family Oxynoidae Family Pectinidae Family Periplomatidae Family Personidae Family Pharidae Family Pholadidae Family Pinnidae Family Pisaniidae Family Pleurobranchidae Family Plicatulidae Family Polyceridae Family Potamididae Family Pseudomelatomidae Family Pteriidae Family Pyramidellidae Family Ranellidae Family Raphitomidae Family Retusidae Family Rhizoridae Family Rissoidae Family Rissoinidae Family Scaliolidae Family Semelidae Family Siphonariidae Family Solecurtidae Family Spondylidae Family Strombidae Family Tegulidae Family Teinostomatidae Family Tellinidae Family Terebridae Family Tonnidae Family Tornatinidae Family Tornidae Family Triphoridae Family Triviidae Family Truncatellidae Family Turbinidae Family Turritellidae Family Ungulinidae Family Veneridae Family Vermetidae Family Vitrinellidae Family Volutidae Family Xenophoridae Family Zebinidae