Strombus gigas
The queen conch is a large gastropod mollusk; belonging to the same taxonomic group (Mollusca). Queen conch are slow growing and late to mature, reaching up to 12 inches in length and living up to 40 years. They have a sandy-colored, spiral-shaped shell with a bright pink or orange interior.
Queen conch live in sand flats, seagrass beds, and are associated with coral reefs. Queen conch are herbivores that browse for plant and surface algal material. Queen conch are found throughout the Caribbean and in the Gulf of Mexico (Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary), south Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Queen conch are highly sought after for their meat and are one of the most valuable species in the Caribbean. Learn more about their current fishing/harvest status.
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Mollusca | Class | Gastropoda | Order | Littorinimorpha | Family | Strombidae | Genus | Lobatus | Species | Lobatus gigas, also known as Strombus gigas |
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Inside Naguabo Queen Conch Hatchery in Puerto Rico. From left to right – Victoria Cassar, Hatchery Manager; Raimundo Espinoza, Executive Director, Conservación ConCiencia and Co-PI on SK NOAA grant; Megan Davis, Research Professor, Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and PI on SK NOAA grant.
