Pleuroploca gigantea is commonly called the Horse Conch and the Giant Band Shell. It is a mollusk, a gastropod, a snail, but it is not a true conch, as it is not in the genus Strombus . It is found along the Atlantic Coast of the Americas from North Carolina to Brazil.
It is the largest snail in the Americas and one of the largest univalves in the world. It can grow to 24 inches (60 cm). The body can retreat entirely into the shell and remain there for months if unfavorable conditions prevail.
It was made the state seashell of Florida in 1969. The shell is much sought after due to its bright orange color and size.
Archealogical and Anthropological References
In classic Mayan art, the Horse Conch is shown being utilized in many ways including as paint and ink holders for elite scribes and as bugle or trumpet.
Taxonomy
Pleuroploca gigantea is classified under Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Molluska, Class Gastropoda, Subclass Orthogastropoda (Ponder & Lindberg, 1996) (previously Prosobranchia), Superorder Caenogastropoda (Cox, 1960), Order Sorbeoconcha (Ponder & Lindberg, 1997), Infraorder Neogastropoda, and Family Fasciolariidaeand.
External Links
Last updated: 06-25-2005 13:07:05
