What exactly is "a true conch"?
That's NOT a good question.
Why?
Because "The term true conchs, being a common name, does not have an exact meaning. It may refer generally to any of the Strombidae[1] but sometimes is used more specifically to include onlyStrombus and Lambis[2] or just Strombus itself.[3]"
?
Anyway.
"Lobatus gigas, commonly known as the queen conch, is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family of true conchs, the Strombidae. This species is one of the largest mollusks native to the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic, from Bermuda to Brazil, reaching up to 35.2 cm (13.9 in) in shell length.
The queen conch is herbivorous and lives in seagrass beds, although the exact habitat varies during the different stages of its development. 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-colored aperture (opening). The flared lip is completely absent in younger specimens. The external anatomy of the soft parts of L. gigas is similar to that of other snails in the same family: it has a long snout, two eyestalks with well-developed eyes and additional sensory tentacles, a strong foot and a corneous sickle-shaped operculum."
What you see above it's just a shell "corporation".
Wanna see the corpore/corpus/soft body?
Here:
A legitimate question is: what the...hell are those?
Can you handle the truth? Jack Nicholson said you can't!
Here:
I have tasted conch and its pretty good! Way TMI about the male conch and pictures however!
ReplyDelete@viridian You don't know Jack, but Jack [Nicholson] knows you...:)
ReplyDeleteJust kidding, viridian. :)
I love your post..it's the third Queen Conch I've seen and sadly they reminded me of the shell that my grandfather left to me when he passed away. He found his in Vallarta in the 40's and every time we visited grandpa, I would hang on to that shell. Seven years ago when we moved to San Antonio, I dropped it and it broke in to many pieces. I know I can go find another one but it won't mean the same.
ReplyDeleteAs for tasting conch...not yet!
Happy PS
Deanna :D
I imagine it's a good thing that creatures that look like that hide in shells. But they make it up with the beauty of their shells. Great post!
ReplyDelete