Horse Conch

• Sclerochronology studies using stable isotopes show that it lives only some 16 years and that the females do not begin breeding until the age of 6 or 7, so that collecting the largest individuals removes precisely the breeders.
• It has been the official state shell of Florida since 1969.
• Cases of cannibalism between individuals have been documented.
• It is the largest marine snail in United States waters and one of the largest in the world: its shell exceeds 60 cm.
• It is a predator of other molluscs, including large snails and bivalves, which it wraps in its foot and forces open.
• It is also a cannibal: it feeds on smaller individuals of its own species.
• Its foot is an intense orange-red, in contrast with the brown shell, and is very striking when the animal is active.
• It is the official state shell of Florida.
• Its egg capsules are large, complex structures, attached to the substrate in clusters reminiscent of a bouquet.

Skeleton type

Invertebrate - external calcareous shell (mollusc)

Habitat and environment

Seagrass meadows and sandy and muddy bottoms, from 0 to 100 m

Sexual maturity

6-7 years

Sources consulted: Smithsonian Marine Station · Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission · Abbott, American Seashells

The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.