Conch     Page 1 of 1
 
Conch, common name applied to many species of marine snails
(gastropod mollusks). The shells of true conchs have overlapping
whorls and an outermost triangular whorl. The covering of the
shell opening is a clawlike structure used by the conch to dig
into the sea bottom and push itself along in short, sudden
spurts. The largest conch, called the queen conch, lives in the
Atlantic Ocean in warmer waters. Its shell reaches a length of
about 1 m (about 3 ft). The queen conch and some other species of
conch are harvested for their edible meat, and the shells of many
conchs have ornamental value. The shells of some species are
fashioned into trumpets for use in ceremonial music among certain
religious and ethnic groups.
 
Scientific classification: True conchs make up the family
Strombidae, order Mesogastropoda, subclass Prosobranchia, class
Gastropoda, phylum Mollusca. The queen conch is classified as
Strombus gigas.
 
-----Verbatim from Microsoft Encarta
(encarta.msn.com/introedition/default.asp)----
 
 
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