Conch
A conch shell
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Prosobranchia Order: Mesogastropoda Superfamily: Stromboidea Family: Strombidae Genus: Strombus
Species
See text Conch Shell File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... Subclass Subclass Eogastropoda     Patellogastropoda Subclass Orthogastropoda   Superorder Cocculiniformia   Superorder Hot Vent Taxa     Neomphaolida   Superorder Vetigastropoda   Superorder Neritaemorphi     Neritopsina   Superorder Caenogastropoda     Architaenioglossa     Sorbeoconcha   Superorder Heterobranchia     Heterostropha     Opisthobranchia     Pulmonata The gastropods, or univalves, are the largest and most successful class of mollusks, with 60,000-75,000 species, and second largest class... Prosobranch signifies “gills in front of the heart”, this in contrast with opisthobranch : “gills to the right and behind the heart” The majority of the gastropods (marine snails, land snails) are prosobranch. ... The Mesogastropoda used to be an order of prosobranch gastropods (i. ... Genera See text Strombidea is a family of gastropod comprising the following genera: Lambis Röding, 1798 (nine known living species), Strombus Linné, 1758 (55 known living species), Terebellum Lamarck, 1799 (one known living species), Tibia Röding, 1798 (six known living species), and Varicospira Eames, 1952 (three known living...

The genus Strombus is made up of the true conches (pronounced "Konk") in the family Strombidae. A conch is a sea creature, a mollusk, and more specifically, a marine gastropod. Still, it should be noted that many other gastropods have common names using conch, such as the Horse Conch (Pleuroploca gigantea). Genera See text Strombidea is a family of gastropod comprising the following genera: Lambis Röding, 1798 (nine known living species), Strombus Linné, 1758 (55 known living species), Terebellum Lamarck, 1799 (one known living species), Tibia Röding, 1798 (six known living species), and Varicospira Eames, 1952 (three known living... Sunset at sea Wiktionary has a definition of: Sea Wiktionary has a definition of: maritime A sea is a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, or a large, usually saline, lake that lacks a natural outlet such as the Caspian Sea and the Dead Sea. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... Subclass Subclass Eogastropoda     Patellogastropoda Subclass Orthogastropoda   Superorder Cocculiniformia   Superorder Hot Vent Taxa     Neomphaolida   Superorder Vetigastropoda   Superorder Neritaemorphi     Neritopsina   Superorder Caenogastropoda     Architaenioglossa     Sorbeoconcha   Superorder Heterobranchia     Heterostropha     Opisthobranchia     Pulmonata The gastropods, or univalves, are the largest and most successful class of mollusks, with 60,000-75,000 species, and second largest class... Pleuroploca gigantea is commonly called the Horse Conch and the Giant Band Shell. ...

While most Strombid species are extinct, at least 65 species are living. Of these, most are in the Indo-Pacific Oceans while six are in the greater Caribbean region. Living true conch species include the Queen Conch, Strombus gigas, and the West Indian Fighting Conch (Strombus pugilis). The Indian Ocean is the third-largest body of water in the world, covering about 20% of the Earths water surface. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... The Queen Conch (pronounced konk), Strombus gigas (Linneas, ), is a true conch and the largest mollusk native to North America. ...

Strombus gigas is included in Appendix II of the UNEP's CITES list of endangered species and international trade is heavily restricted.[1] Klaus Töpfer, UNEP Exec. ... The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between Governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). ... The American bison numbered as few as 750 in 1890 due to extreme overhunting. ...

Anatomy

Conches have have spirally constructed shells. Depending on species (or aberrant growth patterns), shell growth can be sinistral (left-handed) or dextral (right-handed).

Conches have long eye stalks, a long and narrow aperture, and a siphonal canal with an indentation near the anterior end called a stromboid notch. They also have a foot ending in a pointed, sickle-shaped, horny operculum. They grow a flared lip on their shells upon reaching sexual maturity. Sexual maturity is the stage at which an organism can reproduce. ...

Conches have a characteristic leaping motion, using their pointed, sickle-shaped, horny operculum to propel themselves forward. They lay eggs in long, gelatinous strands. An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams A baby tortoise emerges from a reptile egg. ...

Human use

The animal inside the shell is eaten, either raw, as in salads, or cooked, as in fritters, chowders, gumbos, and burgers. —Cleopatra, in Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra, 1606 A salad is a food item generally served either before or after the main dish as a separate course, as a main course in itself, or as a side dish accompanying the main dish. ... The word fritter comes from the Latin frictura (fried) by way of Old French and Middle English. ... Chowder is any of a variety of soups, enriched with salt pork fatback and thickened with flour, or more traditionally with crushed ship biscuit or saltine crackers, and milk. ... A particularly sticky form of clay till is called gumbo. ...

Conch shells are sometimes used as crude bugles by removal of the small tip of the shell to form a mouthpiece, as decoration, as decorative planters, ground up to be used as an ingredient in porcelain, and in cameo making. In classic Mayan art, conches are shown being utilized in many ways including as paint and ink holders for elite scribes, as bugle or trumpet, and as hand weapons (held by combatants by inserting their hands in the aperature). The word bugle has two different meanings: A brass musical instrument, seeBugle (instrument) An often cultivated lamiaceae, Bugle (plant) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Mouthpiece was a straight edge hardcore punk band that featured Tim McMahon on vocals. ... A rare Dresden porcelain figurine Porcelain is a type of hard semi-translucent ceramic generally fired at a higher temperature than glazed earthenware, or stoneware pottery. ...

In some countries cleaned Strombus gigus shells are sold to tourists as souvenirs. Without a permit however, export is a breach of CITES regulations and may lead to arrest. This is most likely to occur on return to the tourist's home country while clearing customs. A souvenir stall in London, England A souvenir (from the French for memory) is an object that is treasured for the memories associated with it. ... The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between Governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). ... Customs duty is a tariff or tax on the import or export of goods. ...

Conch shells are occasionally used as a building material, either in the place of bricks or as bulk for landfill.

Playing the conch shell

While lacking the range capabillities and tone quality of other brass instruments, the conch shell is still a fun instrument to play. Having no mouthpiece or valves the Embouchure in shell playing is critical. Most shells will only naturally play one note, but with pitch manipulations multiple sounds can be achieved. A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as a player blows into a tubular resonator. ... Mouthpiece was a straight edge hardcore punk band that featured Tim McMahon on vocals. ... The embouchure is the shaping of the lips to the mouthpiece of a wind instrument. ...

The conch as religious symbolism

The Conch in Hindu Tradition

The conch is a major Hindu article of prayer, used as a trumpeting announcement of all sorts. The God of Preservation, Vishnu, is said to hold a special conch, Panchajanya, that represents life as it has come out of life-giving waters. The warriors of ancient India would blow conchs to announce battle, such as is famously represented in the beginning of the war of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata, the famous Hindu epic. The conch shell is a deep part of Hindu symbolic and religious tradition. To this very day, all Hindus use the conch as a part of their religious practices, blowing it during worship at specific points, accompanied by ceremonial bells. This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major literary, religious and philosophical epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ...

See also: Krishna Lord Krishna Krishna (कृष्ण, Sanskrit for black), is, according to common Hindu tradition, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ...

The Conch in Buddist Tradition

Buddhism also has incorporated the conch into its symbolism. See: Buddhist symbolism. Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... Buddhist symbolism appeared from around the 3rd century BCE, and started with aniconic symbolism, avoiding direct representations of the Buddha. ...

The Conch in literature

William G. Golding's, Lord of the Flies features frequent references to "The Conch". In the book the conch is held by whoever is speaking at meetings. In the book, it symbolically represents democracy and order. Sir William Gerald Golding (September 19, 1911 - June 19, 1993) was an English novelist and poet and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1983) for his novels which, with the perspicuity of realistic narrative art and the diversity and universality of myth, illuminate the human condition in the world... A Lord of the Flies cover Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel by the Nobel Prize-winning author William G. Golding. ...

Conch people

A "Conch" is also slang for a resident of Key West, Florida. See: Conch Republic. Slang is the non-standard use of words in a language of a particular social group, and sometimes the creation of new words or importation of words from another language. ... Key West buoy at the Southernmost point in the continental United States Key West is a city located in Monroe County, Florida, United States. ... The Conch Republic was an imaginary or not-generally-recognized nation or perhaps a micronation in the Florida Keys, after Key West and nearby islands seceded from the United States of America. ...

The term "Conchy Joe" is also sometimes used (derogatorily) to refer to Bahamian natives of European decent. A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...