Queen Conch
Aliger gigas
The pink-lipped Caribbean icon. Live queen conch are fully protected in Florida, so beachcombers look for old, sun-bleached shells and fragments.
- Typical size
- 6–12 in
- How often it turns up
- Rare as a beach find in Florida
- Collecting
- Protected, do not collect
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Queen conch are protected in Florida state waters. Do not take live animals, and check current FWC rules before keeping any queen conch shell.
How to tell it apart
- Flaring lip with glossy pink interior in adults
- Heavy triangular shell with blunt spines
- Juveniles ('rollers') lack the flared lip
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut will rank the likely matches, then log it to your collection.
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