Florida Crown Conch

Description:

Melongena is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies The shells of Melongena species are extremely variable in shape and sculpture, and historically this has meant that a large number of different forms have been named, creating numerous synonyms

Habitat:

Species within this genus live in the tropical intertidal zone, in muddy areas such as under mangrove trees.Melongena snails are carnivorous, primarily preying on small bivalves (clams, mussels and oysters). They will also feed on other species of snails and have been known to be cannibalistic

Notes:

Status: Unknown. Shelling regulation established a complete ban on the collection of live shells (Florida Department of Environmental Protection Rule 46-26). The genus Melongena occurs only in the tropical Americas. It appears that three nominally valid species occur in the tropics of the western Atlantic: one in Florida, one in the Yucatan, and one in Central America and the Caribbean. A fourth species is found on the tropical eastern Pacific coast.