About us
How Femorale was started?
We have been collecting shells since 1978 but had no contact with other local collectors until 1983, when we attended the Shell Convention of SBMa (Sociedade Brasileira de Malacologia). There, we met many people who remain our closest friends to this day. We also met our good friend Bernardo Linhares from Salvador, Bahia, who asked if we would be interested in selling some of the shells he and his divers collected while diving for ornamental fish. This opportunity marked the beginning of our journey in selling shells from Salvador to collectors at our local meetings, which started occurring regularly after the convention. We then expanded our network by exchanging shells with dealers in the United States and Europe.
In 1986, Jose and a friend traveled to Miami to sell shells to Len Hill and visited other dealers, including Bob and Betty Lipe (who became our American family!), Al Deynzer, and Ed Hanley. Two years later, we traveled together to the U.S. for the first time, participating in the St. Petersburg Shell Show in February 1988-our most exciting trip up to that point. At the time, our English was poor, and we only had common shells for sale, but the experience was so rewarding that we decided to attend the COA (Conchologists of America) Convention in Fort Myers, Florida, in July of the same year. In 1989, we traveled to Europe for the first time, visiting numerous shell collectors and dealers and participating in a shell show in London, where we met several prominent collectors.
We officially opened our business on June 9, 1989. By then, we had already sent out price lists and received a positive response from shell collectors, many of whom became close friends. Over the years, we have traveled extensively, visiting places such as American Samoa, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, the Bahamas, Belgium, Bolivia, the Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, the Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, England, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome & Principe, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Croix, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the Turks and Caicos, Uruguay, the USA (including Hawaii and Alaska), the Vatican, Venezuela, and Trindade Island (a Brazilian island in the middle of the Atlantic). We have attended many shell shows worldwide, as Paris Shell Show, Antwerp Shell Show, Philadelphia Shell Show and many others. Also, have participated in most COA conventions since 1988.
Shell collectors are passionate individuals who love studying, traveling, and connecting with fellow enthusiasts to discuss this fascinating hobby. Over the years, we have discovered hundreds of new species, and our names have been mentioned in books, magazines, and scientific papers. None of our achievements would have been possible without collecting and selling shells to fund our trips-but above all, this is our passion. Despite the many challenges along the way, we have remained dedicated to expanding our knowledge and sharing it with collectors and scientists, who frequently use our database and photo gallery for their research.
Shell collecting is not just about filling a jar with dead shells for decoration. Many serious collectors dedicate their lives to building reference collections, which eventually end up in museums, where they contribute to scientific research. Not all shells can be found washed up on beaches-some must be collected from deep waters, and brave shell collectors often risk their lives to obtain them (sadly, some have even lost their lives in the pursuit).
Thousands of new species have been discovered by shell collectors, with many named after them. Some species may become extinct in the coming decades (though, to date, no marine shells have gone extinct in recent history), making preserved specimens from old collections invaluable. Shell collectors have also contributed to important medical research-search for 'Conotoxins' online to learn about groundbreaking discoveries made possible by live specimens donated to scientists.
In many cases, shells can only be studied if they still contain their soft tissue. It is impossible to extract DNA from an empty shell found on a beach. Events such as oil spills or chemical disasters-like the one that occurred in Brazil a few years ago-can kill hundreds of thousands of marine animals, including endemic shell species.
Below is a partial list of species we have discovered, described, or had named after us by scientists. None of this would have been possible without our personal efforts and dedication