Florida Fighting Conch Shell, Strombus pugilis
Florida Fighting Conch Shell, Strombus pugilis. Collected offshore Akumal, Quintana Roo, October, 2005. Length: 7.5 cm (2.9 inches). Width: 4.6 cm (1.8 inches). Collection, photographs, and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Phylogeny: The Florida Fighting Conch Shell, Strombus pugilis (Linnaeus, 1758), is a member of the Strombidae Family of True Conch Shells. The genus Strombus is one of thirty-one genera in the Strombidae Family, and there are only two species in the Strombus Genus. This species is also known as the Fighting Conch and the West Indian Fighting Conch.
Description: Florida Fighting Conch shells are solid, with a large body whorl, and a small, pointed spire. They consist of eight or nine whorls, each of which are sculpted with single row of nodes on periphery, with larger nodes on the last whorl. Both anterior and ‘stromboid’ notches are present. The aperture is narrow and elongate. The posterior angle of outer lip is distinct and projected in the posterior direction. The operculum is sickle-shaped. The exterior color varies from yellowish to light or dark orange. The interior is white. In some specimens the anterior end is purple, though this is less pronounced in more western locations. Florida Fighting Conchs reach a maximum 13 cm (5.1 inches) in length, though most are around 9.0 cm (3.5 inches). Some sources state that the maximum length is 11.0 cm (4.3 inches). This species is very similar in appearance to the Eastern Pacific Fighting Conch Shell, Strombus gracilior, found along Mexico’s west coast.
Habitat and Distribution: Florida Fighting Conchs are found on sand or mud substrates. within the intertidal zone to a maximum depth of 55 m (180 feet), though most are found in waters less than 10 m (33 feet). They are a tropical Western Atlantic species that are found along the entirety of Mexico’s east coast, in both Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean waters.
Ecology and Behavior: Florida Fighting Conchs are grazers that feed primarily on algae. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. The eggs are laid in gelatinous strings. There is no mention in the available literature of them engaging in any types of parasitic, commensal, or symbiotic relationships. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated however they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be consider to be of Least Concern.
Synonyms: Drillia actinocycla, Pyramis crenulata, Pyramis striata, Strombus alatus, Strombus cornutus, Strombus nicaraguensis, Strombus pugilis alatus, Strombus pugilis peculiaris, Strombus pugilis var. alatus, Strombus pugilis var. nicaraguensis, Strombus pyrulatus, Strombus sloani, and Strombus undulatus.