Aliger gigas, originally known as Strombus gigas and more recently as Lobatus gigas, commonly called the queen conch, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family of true conches, Strombidae. It is one of the largest molluscs native to the Caribbean Sea and the tropical northwestern Atlantic, reaching up to 35.2 centimetres in shell length, and is closely related to the goliath conch of Brazil and the rooster conch. It is herbivorous, feeding by browsing for plant and algal material in seagrass beds and scavenging decaying plant matter, and its large, solid, heavy shell carries knob-like spines on the shoulder and a flared, thick outer lip that develops only once the snail reaches reproductive age, the thickness of that lip indicating how old the conch is.
Facts
Classification
Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill). Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceVery large, solid, heavy shell with knob-like spines on the shoulder, a flared thick outer lip and a pink or orange aperture 1 Scientific Name Conservation Status Sources
1. Aliger gigas - Wikipedia
Introduction
Aliger gigas, originally known as Strombus gigas or more recently as Lobatus gigas
Infobox, Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Description
The adult animal has a very large, solid and heavy shell, with knob-like spines on the shoulder, a flared, thick outer lip, and a characteristic pink or orange aperture (opening).
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