Some of the invertebrates in the Mundo Maya exhibit include marine creatures that were used as food and ornaments by the Maya. These important trade commodities were often imported to inland trade centers. Thorny oysters and Queen conchs were two such items; they were fashioned into jewelry, such as musical instruments, necklaces, pendants and earrings, and used to decorate clothing and ritual materials. A shell is the symbol for zero in Maya mathematics.
 
Sharing an exhibit with Queen conchs, are Atlantic Coast horseshoe crabs. These conchs are from the Florida Keys and were collected under a partnership between the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The horseshoe crab is the single most-studied invertebrate in the world and one of the world's oldest and most fascinating creatures.
 
Although Slender brown scorpions can inflict a sting comparable to that of a hornet, they are not as venomous as other scorpion species.
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