There are about 75 different species of true conchs (genus Strombus),
ranging in size from less than an inch to more than a foot in length.
However, the shells commonly used in India for religious (primarily Hindu)
ceremonies, while sometimes referred to as "conchs", are not actually
Strombus.  They are Turbinella pyrum, a member of a completely different
family. They are more properly referred to as "chank shells" rather than
"conch shells".

Paul M.

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