Pleuroploca gigantea

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Horse conch

Pleuroploca gigantea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Buccinoidea
Family:	Fasciolariidae
Genus:	Pleuroploca
Species:	P. gigantea
Binomial name
*Pleuroploca gigantea* (Kiener, 1840)

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.

This is known as a horse conch, but it is not a true conch, as it is not in the genus Strombus.

This species is the largest gastropod in the American waters,^[1] and one of the largest univalves in the world.

1 Anatomy
2 Shell description
3 Distribution
4 Ecology
- 4.1 Habitat
- 4.2 Feeding habits
5 Human use
- 5.1 Modern times
- 5.2 Archaeological and anthropological uses
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Anatomy

The body can retreat entirely into the shell and remain there for months if unfavorable conditions prevail. The soft parts are bright orange in color.

[edit] Shell description

This species shell length can reach 24 inches (600 mm).^[1]

The outline of the shell is somewhat fusiform, with a long siphonal canal, and having up to 10^[1] whorls. Its sculpture present several spiral cords and axial ribs, some of which can form knobs on the whorls shoulders.^[1]

The shell color is bright orange in young individuals, and tend do become greyish white to salmon orange when adult, with a light tan or dark brown periostracum.^[1]

[edit] Distribution

This large sea snail is found along the Atlantic coast of the Americas from the U.S. state of North Carolina to the north, to Yucatán in the Gulf of Mexico to the south.^[1]

[edit] Ecology

[edit] Habitat

This species dwells on sand, weed and mud flats from the low intertidal to shallow subtidal zones,^[1] in 20 foot (6 m) deep water.

[edit] Feeding habits

This predatory species eats other large marine gastropods, including the tulip shell (Fasciolaria tuplipa), the lightning whelk (Busycon perversum), and also Murex species.^[2] It may also present cannibalistic behaviour, feeding on smaller conspecific individuals.^[2] It has been observed in an aquarium setting to eat small hermit crabs Clibanarius vittatus.

[edit] Human use

[edit] Modern times

The U.S. state of Florida declared it the state seashell in 1969.

The shell is popular with shell collectors because of its size.

[edit] 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, 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.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Leal, J.H. (2002). Gastropods. p. 99-147. In: Carpenter, K.E. (ed.). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 1: Introduction, molluscs, crustaceans, hagfishes, sharks, batoid fishes, and chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. 1600p. PDF
^ ^a ^b Wells F. E., Walker D. I. & Jones D. S. (eds.) (2003). Food of giants – field observations on the diet of Syrinx aruanus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Turbinellidae) the largest living gastropod. The Marine Flora and Fauna of Dampier, Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleuroploca_gigantea"

Categories: Fasciolariidae | State shells of the United States | Symbols of Florida