Strombus gigas
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| Strombus gigas Linnaeus, 1758 |
Strombus gigas is a true conch and the largest mollusk native to North America. It can grow to 15-31 cm (6-12 inches) in length. Common names for S. gigas include (Caribbean) queen conch, pink conch, caracol reina, caracol rosa, caracol rosado, caracol de pala, cobo, botuto, guarura, and lambí.
S. gigas lives in the wider Caribbean region including Mexico, southern Florida, and the Bahamas, north to Bermuda. It lives in seagrass meadows and on sandy substrate feeding on detritus, macroalgae, and epiphytes. The nacre of its shell blushes a sunrise of pink, yellow, peach and cream colors.
The female lays between 180,000 and 460,000 eggs. A small cardinal fish, known as the conch fish sometimes lives in the mantle of the conch for protection.
[edit] Historical human use
Classic Mayan art depicts what appears to be the shell of S. gigas being worn on the hands of boxers.
The Carib indians used to make knives, ax heads, and chisels out of the lip of the conch before they acquired metal.
[edit] References
- Wildlife Fact File, 1996, Card #46 (pink conch)
- In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, a conch shell is used as a symbol of power.
