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
System (Realm) Relationship to People 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. Comparison
NatureServe Rank CITES Appendix 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 Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Wikidata: Queen Conch
In Biome
Source Aliger gigas - Wikipedia
In Ecosystem
Source Wikidata: Queen Conch
Additional Source Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (Wikipedia)Article text
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Aliger gigas - Wikipedia
Introduction
Aliger gigas, originally known as Strombus gigas or more recently as Lobatus gigas
Infobox: status
NT
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).
Article text
The species is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meaning international trade (import/export) in the species and its parts and derivatives is regulated by the CITES permitting system.
- In Biome: Coral Reef, Wikipedia intro: "ly 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 vari..."
View the Source2. GBIF Species API
3. SeaLifeBase: Aliger gigas summary
SeaLifeBaseHuman usesQuote, Human uses
Fisheries: highly commercial
4. NatureServe Explorer: Aliger gigas
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G3"
Wikidata: Queen Conch
- Wikidata Q62603, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Child Taxon Of: Gastropoda, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the SourceMesoamerican Barrier Reef System (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIn Ecosystem: Mesoamerican Reef, Article textQuote, In Ecosystem: Mesoamerican Reef, Article text
of protection, including five species of sea turtles (green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, leatherback turtle, hawksbill turtle and olive ridley turtle), the queen conch, the West Indian manatee, the splendid toadfish, the American crocodile, the Morelet's crocodile, the Nassau grouper, elkhorn coral, and black
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