The trade of conches is regulated to protect the species and the ecosystem in which they thrive. The sea snails that occupy conches are highly valuable for their meat, as they are served in an array of dishes, both cooked and raw. These abound in the warm waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. On beaches of North America, you will most commonly find the queen conch. Conch’s are beautiful and quite impressive compared to other species on this list.

They are characterized as one that has a high spiral and a wavey aperture. They inspire images of tropical islands and native coastal tribes blowing on a shell trumpet.Ĭonch shells are the homes of a wide variety of medium to large-sized sea snail shells. This layer is in contact with the snail’s body and needs to be very smooth.Ĭonches are known worldwide for their beautiful shells instead of the snail that may have once lived in them. Shell Nacre (inner substance) – is sometimes shell nacre and other times mother-of-pearl.Tracum (middle layer) – is made of calcium carbonate precipitated into an organic substance known as conchiolin.Periostracum (outer layer) – displays the color and patterns.These are all created by the secretions of the mantle of the snail and harden over time. Three primary layers make up the morphology of the shell. It also acts as a muscle attachment, prevents dehydration, and stores calcium. The shell of a gastropod serves many purposes and primarily protects them from predators. The shell is the exoskeleton that protects the soft mollusk. Snails grow their shells throughout their lives, and the shells are a part of the actual body of the snail that they can withdraw their bodies into to hide. Gastropod shells were once the home of a snail, a type of mollusk. The study of shells or Conchology forms part of a greater science called Malacology, which studies gastropods exclusively.

Shell shapes and names