Florida Fighting Conch
Strombus alatus
A heavy, flared orange-brown conch that washes up in numbers after winter storms.
- Typical size
- 2 to 4 inches
- How often it turns up
- Very common
- Collecting
- Usually legal to collect
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Empty shells only. Storm strandings are usually alive, so check carefully.
The claw-like operculum can scratch.
How to tell it apart
- Flared lip that widens toward the base
- Orange to deep brown color inside the aperture
- Blunt knobs along the shoulder
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