In classic Mayan art, conches are shown being utilized in many ways including as paint and ink holders for elite scribes, as bugle or trumpet, and as hand weapons (held by combatants by inserting their hands in the aperture). As with other mollusk shells, they are ground up into an ingredient in porcelain. Conch meat is also often confused with Scungilli, which is more accurately whelk meat.Ĭonch shells are sometimes used as decoration, as decorative planters, and in cameo-making. In East Asian cuisines, the meat is often cut into thin slices and then steamed or stir-fried. The animal inside the shell is eaten, either raw, as in salads, or cooked, as in fritters, chowders, gumbos, and burgers. ![]() Human use Florida Fighting Conch, Strombus alatus They lay eggs in long, gelatinous strands. They grow a flared lip on their shells upon reaching sexual maturity.Ĭonches have a characteristic leaping motion, using their pointed, sickle-shaped, horny operculum to propel themselves forward. They also have a foot ending in a pointed, sickle-shaped, horny operculum. This indentation is called a stromboid notch. Depending on species (or aberrant growth patterns), shell growth can be sinistral (left-handed) or dextral (right-handed).Ĭonches have long eye stalks, a long and narrow aperture, and a siphonal canal with an indentation near the anterior end. Anatomy Ĭonches have spirally constructed shells. Strombus gigas is included in Appendix II of the UNEP's CITES list of endangered species and international trade is heavily restricted. Many conch, such as the Queen Conch, are found among beds of sea grass in warm tropical waters. Living true conch species include the Queen Conch, Strombus gigas, and the West Indian Fighting Conch ( Strombus pugilis). Of these, most are in the Indo- Pacific Oceans while six are in the greater Caribbean region. While most Strombid species are extinct, at least 65 species still exist. The genus Strombus is made up of the true conches. One such example is the Horse Conch ( Pleuroploca gigantea). ![]() They are however not true conches, in the family Strombidae. Many other gastropods have common names with conch in them. The ch at the end of 'conch' may be pronounced hard or soft.
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