Queen Conch

Queen Conch Shell

Queen Conch 
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Family: Strombidae
Genus: Lobatus
Species: L. gigas
Scientific name: Lobatus gigas

  Lobatus gigas is native to the tropical Western Atlantic coasts of North and Central America in the greater Caribbean tropical zone.
  The Queen Conch has a large, spiral shell often lined in pink. The conch's mantle, a thin layer of tissue located between the body and the shell, creates the shell. The conch builds the hard shell from calcium carbonate that it extracts from the seas. The shell is up to 1 foot (30 cm) long. The lip of the shell is flared and there are spines to deter its many predators.
  The body is divided into the head, the visceral mass, and the foot (which is small). The conch has two pairs of tentacles on the head; it has a light-sensitive eyespot located on each of the larger tentacles. The smaller pair of tentacles is used for the sense of smell and the sense of touch. The small operculum (which is like a trap door) is located on the foot and looks a bit like (and works like) a claw. Young conchs can bury themselves in the sand when they are in danger.

  The conch snail eats grass, algae, and floating organic debris. They eat using a radula, a rough tongue-like organ that has thousands of tiny denticles (tooth-like protrusions).
  The snail is a popular food source in regions where it is found, especially in the Caribbean.