Queen conch
Aliger gigas
- Scientific name
- Aliger gigas
- Group
- Nudibranchs & Molluscs
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Caribbean & Tropical Atlantic
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Near threatened
Did you know?
The queen conch carries one of the largest shells among marine gastropods, historically carved into cameos or used as a horn by Caribbean islanders. A herbivorous seagrass grazer, it has been so heavily fished for its meat that populations have sharply declined in many areas.
What defines this group — Nudibranchs & Molluscs
Sea snails, with or without a shell — nudibranchs traded theirs for warning colours.
- “Nudibranch” means naked gills: the plume on the back is their breathing apparatus.
- Two rhinophores on the head act as a nose, following scent trails.
- Many recycle the venom of their prey — anemones, hydroids — for their own defence.