A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Aliger gigas
at depths from 0.3–18 m / The queen conch lives in seagrass meadows and on sandy substrate, usually in association with turtle grass and manatee grass. Juveniles inhabit shallow, inshore seagrass meadows, while adults favor deeper algal plains and seagrass meadows.
Saw at least 3 individuals while snorkeling here. I checked to see if it was a living one or if it was a giant hermit crab. They were all living conchs. I placed one so that it would come out to right itself (it did). All were safely placed opening down in the spot where they were found. NOTE: They are protected in Florida so collecting is prohibited.
Spotted on Jul 9, 2022
Submitted on Jul 13, 2022
1 Comment
When I first started diving in the Keys as a teenager, the late 1960's, they were very abundant on the grass flats. Within a few years they had disappeared. On more recent trips I have seen a few. It's good to see they're making a comeback.