Strombus lentiginosus
Encyclopedia
Lentigo lentiginosus, common name
the silver conch, is a species
of medium-sized sea snail
, a marine
gastropod mollusk in the family
Strombidae
, the true conch
s.
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The maximum shell length of this species is 100 mm, but more commonly it grows up to 75 mm.
As is the case in many of the Strombidae
, the adult shell of Lentigo lentiginosus is very heavy and thick, with a characteristic very deep stromboid notch, and a flared, very thick and posteriorly expanded outer lip. The columella
is anteriorly projected, and the siphonal canal
is convex. The body whorl
has a notably irregular surface, which is ornamented by spiral cords and rows of blunt tubercles that form elevated knobs on the shoulder. The inner lip is smooth, with a large callus that often spreads over the spire and over the body whorl
. The shell has a tall spire
, and each whorl of the spire
has a row of heavy knobs and groves that nearly completely fold over each other.
The shell color is usually white with large irregular brown blotches and dots occurring at intervals over the shell surface. The columellar callus has a characteristic faint silvery gloss. The lateral margin of the outer lips has a series of tan blotches. The aperture
is pink to orange on the interior, becoming paler towards the margins.
, including Aldabra
, Madagascar
, Mauritius
and Tanzania
to eastern Polynesia
, and also in southern Japan
and northern Australia
.
and sandy bottoms in clear water. It is commonly found on barrier or lagoon reef
s, in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones to a depth of around 4 m.
It is rarely seen buried in the sand.
Strombus
, L. lentiginosus is known to be a herbivore
.
The shell is used in shellcraft, and is commonly sold in local markets around the central Philippines
.
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 silver 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 medium-sized 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...
Strombidae
Strombidae
Strombidae, commonly known as the true conchs, is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to very large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Stromboidea....
, the 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....
s.
Shell description
As is the case in many of the Strombidae
Strombidae
Strombidae, commonly known as the true conchs, is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to very large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Stromboidea....
, the adult shell of Lentigo lentiginosus is very heavy and thick, with a characteristic very deep stromboid notch, and a flared, very thick and posteriorly expanded outer lip. The columella
Columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella is the most important writer on agriculture of the Roman empire. Little is known of his life. He was probably born in Gades , possibly of Roman parents. After a career in the army , he took up farming...
is anteriorly projected, and the siphonal canal
Siphonal canal
Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water is drawn into the mantle cavity and over the gill and which serves as a chemoreceptor to locate food. In many carnivorous snails, where the siphon is particularly long, the structure...
is convex. The body whorl
Body whorl
Body whorl is part of the morphology of a coiled gastropod mollusk.- In gastropods :In gastropods, the body whorl, or last whorl, is the most recently-formed and largest whorl of a spiral or helical shell, terminating in the aperture...
has a notably irregular surface, which is ornamented by spiral cords and rows of blunt tubercles that form elevated knobs on the shoulder. The inner lip is smooth, with a large callus that often spreads over the spire and over the body whorl
Body whorl
Body whorl is part of the morphology of a coiled gastropod mollusk.- In gastropods :In gastropods, the body whorl, or last whorl, is the most recently-formed and largest whorl of a spiral or helical shell, terminating in the aperture...
. The shell has a tall spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
, and each whorl of the spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
has a row of heavy knobs and groves that nearly completely fold over each other.
The shell color is usually white with large irregular brown blotches and dots occurring at intervals over the shell surface. The columellar callus has a characteristic faint silvery gloss. The lateral margin of the outer lips has a series of tan blotches. The aperture
Aperture
In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
is pink to orange on the interior, becoming paler towards the margins.
Distribution
Lentigo lentiginosus is widespread in the Indo-Pacific, from East AfricaEast Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, including Aldabra
Aldabra
Aldabra, the world's second largest coral atoll, is in the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that form part of the Seychelles. Uninhabited and extremely isolated, Aldabra is virtually untouched by humans, has distinctive island fauna including the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, and is...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
to eastern Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
, and also in southern Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Habitat
This sea snail lives on coralCoral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
and sandy bottoms in clear water. It is commonly found on barrier or lagoon reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s, in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones to a depth of around 4 m.
It is rarely seen buried in the sand.
Feeding habits
Like the other species that used to be included in the genusGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
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....
, L. lentiginosus is known to be a herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
.
Human uses
The flesh of Lentigo lentiginosus is edible, and it is locally collected for food.The shell is used in shellcraft, and is commonly sold in local markets around the central Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.