Conch
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Conch
Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North America, a conch is often identified as a queen conch, indigenous to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Queen conches are valued for seafood and are also used as fish bait. The group of conches that are sometimes referred to as "true conches" are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Strombidae, specifically in the genus ''Strombus'' and other closely related genera. For example, ''Lobatus gigas'', the queen conch, and ''Laevistrombus canarium'', the dog conch, are true conches. Many other species are also often called "conch", but are not at all closely related to the family Strombidae, including ''Melongena'' species (family Melongenidae) and the horse conch ''Triplofusus papillosus'' (family Fasciolariidae). Species comm ...
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Lobatus Gigas
''Aliger gigas,'' originally known as ''Strombus gigas'' or more recently as ''Lobatus gigas'', common name, commonly known as the queen conch, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family (biology), family of true conches, the Strombidae. This species is one of the largest molluscs native to the Caribbean Sea, and Tropical Atlantic#Marine provinces, tropical northwestern Atlantic, from Bermuda to Brazil, reaching up to in shell length. ''A. gigas'' is closely related to the goliath conch, ''Lobatus goliath'', a species endemic to Brazil, as well as the rooster conch, ''Aliger gallus''. The queen conch is herbivorous. It feeds by browsing for plant and algal material growing in the seagrass beds, and scavenging for decaying plant matter. These large sea snails typically reside in seagrass beds, which are sandy plains covered in swaying sea grass and associated with coral reefs, although the exact habitat of this species varies according to devel ...
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Sea Shell (Trinidad & Tobago 2009)
A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washed up on beaches by beachcombing, beachcombers. The shells are empty because the animal has died and the soft parts have decomposition, decomposed or been eaten by another animal. A seashell is usually the exoskeleton of an invertebrate (an animal without a backbone), and is typically composed of calcium carbonate or chitin. Most shells that are found on beaches are the shells of marine (ocean), marine mollusks, partly because these shells are usually made of calcium carbonate, and endure better than shells made of chitin. Apart from mollusk shells, other shells that can be found on beaches are those of barnacles, horseshoe crabs and brachiopods. Marine annelid worms in the family Serpulidae create shells which are tubes made of calcium ca ...
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Shankha
A Shankha ( conch shell) has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. It is the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure. In Hindu history, the shankha is a sacred emblem of The Hindu preserver god Vishnu. It is still used as a trumpet in Hindu ritual, and in the past was used as a war trumpet. The shankha is praised in Hindu scriptures as a giver of fame, longevity and prosperity, the cleanser of sin and the abode of goddess Lakshmi, who is the goddess of prosperity and consort of Vishnu. The shankha is displayed in Hindu art in association with Vishnu. As a symbol of water, it is associated with female fertility and serpents (Nāgas). The shankha (representing the conch of the presiding deity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a part of the state emblem of the Indian state of Kerala. The symbol was derived from the erstwhile emblems of the Indian princely state of Travancore, and the Kingdom of Cochin. The shankha is one of the eight a ...
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Laevistrombus Canarium
''Laevistrombus canarium'' ( commonly known as the dog conch or by its better-known synonym, ''Strombus canarium'') is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Strombidae (true conches). Known from illustrations in books dating from the late 17th century, ''L. canarium'' is an Indo-Pacific species occurring from India and Sri Lanka to Melanesia, Australia and southern Japan. The shell of adult individuals is coloured from light yellowish-brown to golden to grey. It has a characteristic inflated body whorl, a flared, thick outer lip, and a shallow stromboid notch. The shell is valued as an ornament, and because it is heavy and compact, it is also often used as a sinker for fishing nets. The external anatomy of the soft parts of this species is similar to that of other strombid snails. The animal has an elongated snout, thin eyestalks with well-developed eyes and sensory tentacles, and a narrow, strong foot with a sickle-shaped operculum. A mo ...
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Triplofusus Papillosus
''Triplofusus giganteus'', previously known as ''Pleuroploca gigantea'', common name the Florida horse conch, is a species of extremely large predatory subtropical and tropical sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle snails, tulip snails and their allies.Rosenberg, G. (2018). ''Triplofusus giganteus'' (Kiener, 1840). In: MolluscaBase (2018). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=420051 on 2021-07-02 Although known as a horse conch, this is not a true conch, as it is not in the family Strombidae. With a shell length that can reach 60 cm, this species is the largest gastropod in United States waters,Leal, J.H. (2002). Gastropods. p. 99-147. In: Carpenter, K.E. (ed.). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 1: Introduction, molluscs, crustaceans, hagfishes, sharks, batoid fishes, and chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purpos ...
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Gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. There are many thousands of species of sea snails and slugs, as well as freshwater snails, freshwater limpets, and land snails and slugs. The class Gastropoda contains a vast total of named species, second only to the insects in overall number. The fossil history of this class goes back to the Late Cambrian. , 721 families of gastropods are known, of which 245 are extinct and appear only in the fossil record, while 476 are currently extant with or without a fossil record. Gastropoda (previously known as univalves and sometimes spelled "Gasteropoda") are a major part of the phylum Mollusca, and are the most highly diversified class in the phylum, with 65,000 to 80,000 living snail and slug species. The anatomy, behavior, feeding, and re ...
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Strombus
''Strombus'' is a genus of medium to large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Strombidae, which comprises the true conchs and their immediate relatives. The genus ''Strombus'' was named by Swedish Naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Around 50 living species were recognized, which vary in size from fairly small to very large. Six species live in the greater Caribbean region, including the queen conch, ''Strombus gigas'' (now usually known as ''Eustrombus gigas'' or ''Lobatus gigas''), and the West Indian fighting conch, '' Strombus pugilis''. However, since 2006, many species have been assigned to discrete genera. These new genera are, however, not yet found in most textbooks and collector's guides. Worldwide, several of the larger species are economically important as food sources; these include the endangered queen conch, which very rarely also produces a pink, gem-quality pearl. In the geological past, a much larger number of species of ''Strombus'' existed. Fos ...
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Turbinella Pyrum
''Turbinella pyrum'', common names the chank shell, sacred chank or chank, also known as the divine conch, sometimes referred to simply as a conch, is a species of very large sea snail with a gill and an operculum, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinellidae. This species occurs in the Indian Ocean. The name "chank" for the shell of this species is derived from the Indian word ''shankha'', the divine conch. The old generic name was ''Xancus''. The Dutch used to call them ''chianco''. Distribution This species is found mainly in the Indian Ocean. Description The shell of this species is massive, with three or four prominent columellar plicae. It is usually pure white under a heavy brown periostracum, but it can also be a pale apricot color. It can sometimes be dotted with dark brown. Shells of the lightning whelk (''Sinistrofulgur sp.''), a normally left-handed western Atlantic Ocean genus, are sometimes sold in imitation of the rare left-handed shells of t ...
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Melongena
''Melongena'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.WoRMS (2010). Melongena Schumacher, 1817. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=205587 on 2011-04-02 Species Species within the genus ''Melongena'' include: * † '' Melongena basilica'' (Bellardi, 1873) * '' Melongena bispinosa'' (Philippi, 1844) * † '' Melongena californica'' Anderson & Martin, 1914 F. M. Anderson and B. Martin. 1914. Neocene record in the Temblor Basin, California, and Neocene deposits of the San Juan District, San Luis Obispo County. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series 4(3):15-112 * ''Melongena corona'' (Gmelin, 1791) - crown conch - synonym: ''Melongena subcoronata'' * † ''Melongena lainei'' (Basterot, 1825) * '' Melongena melongena'' (Linnaeus, 1 ...
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Strombidae
Strombidae, commonly known as the true conchs, is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to very large sea snails in the superfamily Stromboidea, and the Epifamily Neostromboidae. The term true conchs, being a common name, does not have an exact meaning. It may refer generally to any of the Strombidae but sometimes is used more specifically to include only ''Strombus'' and ''Lambis''. The family currently includes 26 extant, and 10 extinct genera. Distribution Strombid gastropods live mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. These animals are widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, where most species and genera occur. Nearly 40 of the living species that used to belong to the genus ''Strombus'' can be found in the Indo-Pacific region.Abbott, R.T. (1960). "The genus Strombus in the Indo-Pacific". ''Indo-Pacific Mollusca'' 1(2): 33-144 They also occur in the eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic, and a single species can be found on the African Atlantic coast. Six species of strombid ...
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Melongena Corona 2
''Melongena'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.WoRMS (2010). Melongena Schumacher, 1817. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=205587 on 2011-04-02 Species Species within the genus ''Melongena'' include: * † '' Melongena basilica'' (Bellardi, 1873) * '' Melongena bispinosa'' (Philippi, 1844) * † '' Melongena californica'' Anderson & Martin, 1914 F. M. Anderson and B. Martin. 1914. Neocene record in the Temblor Basin, California, and Neocene deposits of the San Juan District, San Luis Obispo County. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series 4(3):15-112 * ''Melongena corona'' (Gmelin, 1791) - crown conch - synonym: ''Melongena subcoronata'' * † ''Melongena lainei'' (Basterot, 1825) * '' Melongena melongena'' (Linnaeus, 1 ...
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Mollusc
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000  extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estimated between 60,000 and 100,000 additional species. The proportion of undescribed species is very high. Many taxa remain poorly studied. Molluscs are the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all the named marine organisms. Numerous molluscs also live in freshwater and terrestrial habitats. They are highly diverse, not just in size and anatomical structure, but also in behaviour and habitat. The phylum is typically divided into 7 or 8 taxonomic classes, of which two are entirely extinct. Cephalopod molluscs, such as squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses, are among the most neurologically advanced of all invertebrates—and either the giant squid or the colossal squid is the largest known invertebrate species. The gastropods ...
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