Pleuroploca gigantea
Encyclopedia
Pleuroploca gigantea, common name
the Florida horse conch, is a species
of extremely large predatory subtropical and tropical sea snail
, a marine
gastropod mollusk in the family
Fasciolariidae
, the spindle snails, tulip snails and their allies.
Although known as a horse conch, it is not a true conch
, as it is not in the genus Strombus
.
This species is the largest gastropod in the American
waters, and one of the largest univalves in the world.
length can reach 24 inches (600 mm).
The outline of the shell is somewhat fusiform, with a long siphonal canal, and having up to 10 whorls. Its sculpture present several spiral cords and axial ribs, some of which can form knobs on the whorls shoulders.
The shell color is bright orange in young individuals. The shell often becomes greyish white to salmon-orange when adult, with a light tan or dark brown periostracum.
of North Carolina
to the north, to Yucatán in the Gulf of Mexico
to the south.
(Fasciolaria tuplipa), the lightning whelk (Busycon perversum), and the queen conch (Eustrombus gigas) as well as some Murex
species. It may also present cannibalistic
behaviour, feeding on smaller conspecific individuals. It has been observed (in an aquarium setting) to eat small hermit crabs of the species Clibanarius vittatus.
declared it the state seashell in 1969.
The shell is popular with shell collectors because of its size.
In southern Florida
, Native Americans, including the Calusa
and Tequesta
, used the horse conch to make several types of artifact. The whole shell, or more commonly only the columella, was attached to a wooden handle and used as a hammer or woodworking tool. The body whorl was used as a drinking cup. The columella was also used to make plummets or sinkers.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the Florida horse conch, is a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of extremely large predatory subtropical and tropical sea snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
, a marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
gastropod mollusk in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Fasciolariidae
Fasciolariidae
Fasciolariidae, common name the "tulip snails and spindle snails", is a family of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Buccinoidea....
, the spindle snails, tulip snails and their allies.
Although known as a horse conch, it is not a true conch
Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
, as it is not in the genus Strombus
Strombus
Strombus, common name the true conchs, is a genus of medium to large sea snails with an operculum, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs and their immediate relatives....
.
This species is the largest gastropod in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
waters, and one of the largest univalves in the world.
Anatomy
The animal can retract the soft parts entirely into the shell and can remain retracted for months if unfavorable conditions prevail. The soft parts are bright orange in color.Shell description
This species shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
length can reach 24 inches (600 mm).
The outline of the shell is somewhat fusiform, with a long siphonal canal, and having up to 10 whorls. Its sculpture present several spiral cords and axial ribs, some of which can form knobs on the whorls shoulders.
The shell color is bright orange in young individuals. The shell often becomes greyish white to salmon-orange when adult, with a light tan or dark brown periostracum.
Distribution
This large sea snail is found along the Atlantic coast of the Americas from the U.S. stateU.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
to the north, to Yucatán in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
to the south.
Ecology
Habitat
This species dwells on sand, weed and mud flats from the low intertidal to shallow subtidal zones, in 20 foot (6 m) deep water.Feeding habits
Pleuroploca gigantea is a carnivorous predatory species, and feeds on other large marine gastropods, including the tulip shellTulip shell
Tulip snail, or Tulip shell is the common name for two or three species of large, predatory, subtropical and tropical sea snails from the Western Atlantic. These species are in the genus Fasciolaria...
(Fasciolaria tuplipa), the lightning whelk (Busycon perversum), and the queen conch (Eustrombus gigas) as well as some Murex
Murex
Murex is a genus of medium to large sized predatory tropical sea snails. These are carnivorous marine gastropod molluscs in the family Muricidae, commonly calle "murexes" or "rock snails"...
species. It may also present cannibalistic
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
behaviour, feeding on smaller conspecific individuals. It has been observed (in an aquarium setting) to eat small hermit crabs of the species Clibanarius vittatus.
Modern times
The U.S. state of FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
declared it the state seashell in 1969.
The shell is popular with shell collectors because of its size.
Archaeological and anthropological uses
In classic Mayan art, the Horse Conch is shown being utilized in many ways including as paint and ink holders for elite scribes, and also as a bugle or trumpet.In southern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Native Americans, including the Calusa
Calusa
The Calusa were a Native American people who lived on the coast and along the inner waterways of Florida's southwest coast. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region; at the time of European contact, the Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture...
and Tequesta
Tequesta
The Tequesta Native American tribe, at the time of first European contact, occupied an area along the southeastern Atlantic coast of Florida...
, used the horse conch to make several types of artifact. The whole shell, or more commonly only the columella, was attached to a wooden handle and used as a hammer or woodworking tool. The body whorl was used as a drinking cup. The columella was also used to make plummets or sinkers.