Florida Fighting Conch

The florida fighting conch strombus alatus gmelin 1791 is one of southwest florida s best known and most abundant mollusks.

Florida fighting conch. The shell can be as large as 112 mm 4 4 in. It is sturdy and 3 4 inches tall. The front of the shell is designed with two curved edges. So much could be said about that species but today i want to focus on some differences between the juvenile young and the adult shells.

The florida fighting conch is a rather formidable looking snail with a very handsome golden caramel colored shell. Strombus pugilis common names the fighting conch and the west indian fighting conch is a species of medium to large sea snail a marine gastropod mollusk in the family strombidae the true conchs. In many species of the conch genus strombus the juven. After an hour of walking and photographing all sorts of creatures i finally found the ambassador i was looking for.

This conch occurs in the western atlantic ocean from north carolina to florida and the gulf of mexico louisiana texas and the east coast of mexico. Fighting conch snails can reach 7 10 cm 3 to 4 inches in length. One morning i set out to photograph the face of a fighting conch. Before i came across this living mollusk i had collected an empty fighting conch shell while visiting sanibel island.

These florida fighting conchs are adults and are usually shipped around 3 inches or so. That s exactly the type of place i discovered this one. Their shell has a dark reddish brown often mottled with orange brown or having zigzag bars of color on the shiny parietal wall. But it was the eyes of the florida fighting conch that really captivated me.

The florida fighting conch feeds through a trunk like mouth and eyes that are on long stalks and are individually movable making them an interesting creature to watch. Strombus alatus commonly known as the florida fighting conch contains a small jagged spire at the top of the shell and about seven whorls. These edges allow the eyestalks to look out from under the shell and become aware of its surroundings keeping the rest of its body safe. I decided i had to share my moment of connection and give a face to the faceless.

About seven whorls and a pointed spire form the body of the shell. The shell is touched with white and sometimes has additional orange and purple markings. This species is closely similar to strombus pugilis the west indian fighting conch which has a more southerly range. The fighting conch can be found on all florida shorelines but they prefer sandy shallow water where wave action is minimal.