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Conch
An adult Queen Conch shell, Strombus gigas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Orthogastropoda Superorder: Caenogastropoda Order: Sorbeoconcha Suborder: Hypsogastropoda Infraorder: Littorinimorpha Superfamily: Stromboidea Family: Strombidae Genus: Strombus
Species
Strombus gigas Strombus luhuanus Strombus pugilis Strombus tricornis Strombus canarium Strombus dolomena Strombus gibberulus Strombus conomurex Strombus lentigo Strombus doxander Strombus urceus Strombus fragilis Strombus gallus Strombus dentatus Strombus marginatus Strombus raninus Strombus buvonius

A conch (pronounced in the U.S.A. as "konk" or "conch", IPA: /ˈkɒŋk/ or /ˈkɒŋtʃ/) [1] is one of a number of different species of medium-sized to large saltwater snails or their shells.

"True conchs" are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, and the genus Strombus.

The name conch however is often loosely applied in English-speaking countries to any very large sea snail shell which is pointed at both ends, i.e. a shell that has a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal. Because of this, various other species of large, marine (sometimes edible) shelled gastropods are also commonly called "conchs", for example: the crown conch Melongena species; the horse conch Pleuroploca gigantea; and the chank shell, Turbinella species. These other gastropods are not true conchs, and are classified in other taxonomic families.

Contents 1 True conches 1.1 Anatomy 1.2 Human use 2 Playing the conch shell as a musical instrument 3 Religious symbolism of other conches 3.1 Hindu tradition 3.2 Buddhist tradition 4 Literature 5 Media 6 References

The true conch species within the genus Strombus vary in size from fairly small to very large. Several of the larger species such as Strombus gigas, the pink conch or queen conch, are economically important as food sources. Strombus gigas is also capable of producing (very rarely) a pink, gem quality pearl.

At least 65 species of Strombidae are extant, and a much larger number of species exist only in the fossil record. Of the living species, most are in the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Six species live in the greater Caribbean region, including the Queen Conch, Strombus gigas, and the West Indian Fighting Conch, Strombus pugilis.

Many species of conch, such as the Queen Conch, live on sandy bottoms among beds of sea grass in warm tropical waters.

Strombus gigas is included in Appendix II of the UNEP's CITES list of endangered species, and international trade is heavily restricted.[2]

Conches have spirally constructed shells. This spiral shell growth is usually dextral (right-handed) but on very rare occasions it can be sinistral (left-handed).

True conches have long eye stalks with colorful ring-marked eyes. The shell has a long and narrow aperture, and a short siphonal canal, with another indentation near the anterior end called a stromboid notch. This notch is where one of the two eye stalks protrudes from the shell. The animal also has a foot ending in a pointed, sickle-shaped, operculum. The animals grow a flared lip on their shells only upon reaching sexual maturity.

Conches have a characteristic leaping motion, using their pointed, sickle-shaped, horny operculum to propel themselves forward. They lay eggs in long, gelatinous strands.

The animal inside the shell is eaten, either raw, as in salads, or cooked, as in fritters, chowders, gumbos, and burgers. In East Asian cuisines, the meat is often cut into thin slices and then steamed or stir-fried. In El Salvador, live conch is served in a cocktail of onion, tomato, cilantro, and lemon juice. Lemon juice is squeezed onto the cocktail, causing the conch to squirm, and then the whole thing is slurped down whole, as in the manner of oysters. Conch meat is also often confused with "Scungilli", which is more accurately whelk meats. All parts of the conch meat are edible. However, most people only find the white meat appetising.

Conch shells are sometimes used as decoration, as decorative planters, and in cameo making. In classic Mayan art, conches are shown being utilized in many ways including as paint and ink holders for elite scribes, as bugles or trumpets, and as hand weapons (held by combatants by inserting their hands in the aperture). The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped the sea and often depicted conch shells in their art. ^[1] Some American aborigonals used cylindrical conch columella beads as part of breastplates and other personal adornment. See Hair Pipes.

In popular folklore, it is believed that if one holds an open conch shell (or any other large marine snail shell) to the ear, the ocean can be heard. This phenomenon is caused by the resonant cavity of the shell producing a form of pink noise from the surrounding background ambience.^{[citation needed]}

In some Caribbean and African American cemeteries conch shells are placed on graves. (The Last Miles of the Way: African Homegoing Traditions, 1890-Present, edited by Elaine Nichols).

In some countries, cleaned Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) shells or polished fragments are sold, mainly to tourists, as souvenirs or in jewelry. Without a permit, however, export is a breach of CITES regulations and may lead to arrest [3]. This is most likely to occur on return to the tourist's home country while clearing customs. In the UK conch shells are the ninth most seized import. [4]

Conch shells are occasionally used as a building material, either in place of bricks or as bulk for landfill.

A partially echoplexed Indian conch was featured prominently as the primary instrument depicting the extraterrestrial environment of the derelict spaceship in Jerry Goldsmith's score for the film Alien. Director Ridley Scott was so impressed by the eerie effect that he requested its use throughout the rest of the score, including the Main Title.^[2]

A ṣankh shell or Turbinella species in the family Turbinellidae is often referred to in the west as a conch shell, and this is a major Hindu article of prayer. It is used as a trumpet.

The god of Preservation, Vishnu, is said to hold a special conch, Panchajanya, that represents life, as it has come out of life-giving waters.

In the story of Dhruva the divine conch plays a special part. The warriors of ancient India would blow conch shells to announce battle, such as is famously represented in the beginning of the war of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata, the famous Hindu epic. The conch shell is a deep part of Hindu symbolic and religious tradition. To this very day, many Hindus use the Indian conch trumpet made from a ṣankh as a part of their religious practices, blowing it during worship at specific points, accompanied by ceremonial bells. See also: Dakshinavarti Shankh

Buddhism has also incorporated the conch shell into its symbolism. See: Buddhist symbolism.

William Golding's Lord of the Flies features frequent references to "the Conch". In the book the conch is used as a trumpet to call everyone together and held by whoever is speaking at meetings, symbolically representing democracy and order. When a boulder released by Roger, Jack's lieutenant, smashes the conch, it is a sign that civilized order has collapsed and Jack's domination has begun.