Queen conch move very slowly
This is the flagship creature of the Florida Keys, otherwise known as the “Conch Republic”. Conch are a popular food. Unfortunately, years of overharvesting has led to a crash in their population. These days, the Conch Republic must import their conch.
This animal is comprised of a snail-like creature inside a large orangish shell. The outside of the shell can often be covered in algae or sand. The underside of the shell, as you can see in this photo, is pinkish. The queen conch has long eye stalks, with its eyeball on the tip. The queen conch will retract their eye stalks when threatened. If you approach slowly and remain patient, the conch will eventually stick its eyes out. The conch also has a “foot” which is the muscular body part it uses for locomotion. Queen conch move very slowly. As a diver, you can look in the sand for “snail trails” and follow them until you reach the queen conch.
Queen conch can be found across the Caribbean and the tropical western Atlantic, generally in shallow waters. The queen conch relies on its protective shell to keep it safe from predators. Even despite this protective shell, conch is preyed upon by spotted eagle rays, nurse sharks, sea turtles, octopus, and starfish. If the queen conch can evade all these predators, it can live up to 30 years in the wild!
Queen conch have long been an important source of protein for islanders. People also used their shells for ship ballast, as building material, to make tools, and as musical instruments. The Aztecs used queen conch as musical instruments in their religious ceremonies.
Conch is preyed upon by spotted eagle rays, nurse sharks, sea turtles, octopus, and starfish
Did you know?
- The shell length of the queen conch can reach almost 14 inches long! They can weigh up to five pounds.
- The queen conch eye has a yellow iris and a black pupil. If a predator eats one of its eyes, the queen conch can regenerate another one.
- Queen conch can be found from Bermuda to Brazil!
- Queen conch is a protected species in Florida.
- Queen conch eat algae and plant material.
- Female conch will lay egg masses containing ~750,000 eggs.
- There is a small fish called a conch fish that shelters in the protection of the conch’s shell.
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