QUEEN CONCH FAQ'S

• How big can conch get?
• How many eggs does a conch lay at one time?
• How long do they live?
• Why do conch use a jumping behavior?
• How old are conch when they are classified as adults?
• What happens to the shells fishermen leave behind?
• What do conch eat and how?
• What is does it mean to be listed in CITES?
• How do conch make their shells?
• How long have conch been harvested in the Caribbean?
• Where are conch found?
• What is the current state of the queen conch population?
• How do you determine the sex of a queen conch?
• How many species of conch are there?
• What are some of the conch's natural predators?
• Are conch being farmed commercially or for restocking purposes?
• When are conch most active?
• Is the conch that is sold at supermarkets and in restaurants farmed for consumption or imported from other countries?
• Do conch produce pearls?
• What is currently being done to protect the conch?
• Do all conch disguise their egg masses with sand?
• Why should we save the conch?

Q: How big can conch get?

A: Queen conch can reach up to 25cm in siphonal length. Siphonal length is measured from the apex of the spire to the end of the siphonal canal.

Q: How many eggs does a conch lay at one time?

A: Conch lay eggs during the season between March and October. The female will lay an eggs mass which contains approximately 400,000 eggs. Females produce around nine egg masses per season.

Q: How long do they live?

A: Queen conch can live up to 20-25 years in captivity. In the wild it depends on where the conch is living and what other organisms/predators are around it.

Q: Why do conch use a jumping behavior?

A: Conch use a jumping behavior to get around from location to location. This movement is thought to help the conch make a quick escape from predators and also breaks up their scent trail.

Q: How old are conch when they are classified as adults?

A: Conch are classified as adults when they reach 3-4 years of age, or roughly 16 cm (6.3 inches) or greater in shell length.

Q: What happens to the shells fishermen leave behind?

A: After taking the meat from the shells, fishermen throw the shells onto piles called middens. The oldest conch midden is more than 5,000 years old.

Q: What do conch eat and how?

A: Conch eat a variety of algae as juveniles and adults, but they also eat detritus or diatoms found on blades of Thalassia testudinum, which is a common type of seagrass. Conch use a long, flexible snout-like organ called a proboscis to eat.

Q: What is does it mean to be listed in CITES?

A: CITES stands for Convention for the International Trade of Endangered Species. Queen conch is listed as a "commercially threatened species". By being listed under CITES, countries which export conch are now required to have a permit approved by CITES management. This is in order to make sure conch are harvested at a sustainable rate. Being listed on CITES does not mean that they are officially on the endangered/threatened species list.

Q: How do conch make their shells?

A: Conch produce their shells during the three day period in which they are in their egg stage. When they are born, the shell is already present. The mantle, which is inside of the shell, is what produces the shell. The conch incorporate calcium carbonate from the water or their food and then deposit the calcium to form the shell. They grow by adding whorls (the tip) to their shell, but once sexual maturity is reached, they begin to add shell on to their lip.

Q: How long have conch been harvested in the Caribbean?

A: Conch has been harvested in the Caribbean for thousands of years. From old conch shell middens it has been found that in some regions conch have been fished for over 5,000 years.

Q: Where are conch found?

A: Conch are found throughout the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, the coast of Central and South America, and Florida waters. The conch use a variety of habitats during their life. Mating occurs in aggregations on open sand patches near seagrass beds (Thalassia testudinum). Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will spend the next three weeks in the water column. After responding to a trophic cue veligers settle down on a seagrass bed and undergo metamorphosis into a benthic animal. Adult and juveniles live in shallow seagrass beds and sand flats. Adults migrate to deep waters (15m) in the winter and migrate back to shallow waters in summer (3m) to spawn.

Q: What is the current state of queen conch populations?

A: Currently queen conch populations are in decline throughout the Caribbean. Conch living in the shallow waters (<20m) are fished most extensively due to the ease of collection. The conch living in deeper waters are also in danger with the introduction of collection by SCUBA. The status of populations range throughout the Caribbean going from severely depleted (The Bahamas) to relatively stable (Turks and Caicos).

Q: How do you determine the sex of a conch?

A: To determine the sex of an adult conch (one with a developed lip) is to flip the conch on its side and when the animal comes out of its shell to flip back over, you will be able to see a verge (male) or an egg groove (female).

Q: How many species of conch are there?

A: There are six species of conch throughout the Caribbean and Florida waters that belong to the family Strombidae: Strombus gigas, S. costatus, S. raninus, S. alatus, S. pugilis, and S. gallus. Out of these, Queen conch, S. gigas, has the highest commercial value.

Q: What are some of the conch's natural predators?

A: Conch are preyed upon by crabs, lobster, octopus, turtles, sharks, rays, and of course their most dangerous predators, humans.

Q: Are conch being farmed commercially or for restocking purposes?

A: Currently there is one successful queen conch commercial fishery. It is located in the Turks and Caicos. It has been operational since 1984. Research is currently being conducted in Mexico, Guadalupe, and the United States to determine the best methods of raising queen conch in captivity for restocking purposes and commercial purposes.

Q: When are conch most active?

A: Conch are most active during the nighttime.

Q: Is the conch that is sold at supermarkets and in restaurants farmed for consumption or imported from other countries?

A: If you're living in the United States, the conch you eat is most likely imported form Haiti, Belize, or the Turks and Caicos Islands. In Florida you are not allowed to fish for queen conch in the waters. The United States is the largest importer and consumer of queen conch.

Q: Do conch produce pearls?

A: Yes, conch do produce pearls, but it is very rare. Only 1 in 10,000 conch will produce a pearl.

Q: What is currently being done to save the conch?

A: Along with being listed on Appendix II of CITES, fishing regulations are set across the Caribbean along with the set-up of Marine Protected Areas. In many of these areas fishing is not allowed at all allowing the conch to repopulate the area in hopes that the larvae and adults will migrate to fished areas. Fishing regulations include restrictions on fishing methods (ban of SCUBA), when conch can be caught, size regulations, and how much conch can be caught.

Q: Do all conch disguise their egg masses with sand?

A: Yes, all species of conch disguise their egg masses with sand.

Q: Why should we save the conch?

A: Conch are a natural resource which is currently being overfished. Many of the countries which harvest conch rely on the income brought in from the export of conch. Conch are an important food source to many of the locals and they have fished conch for generations. The Arawak Indians use the conch for tribal tools, and many use the shells for decoration.