queen conch - Seashells by Millhill

Shell Size and Age of Mollusk: Queen Conch

My mind has really been on boating and the water lately but now I am back to thinking about seashells, specifically the queen conch (Strombus gigas) and the creatures who live in them.

Someone who read my Seashell Identification page at Wizzley asked how old my conch shell was. I have a picture posted on my page and she said that her shell looked like mine.

I get all kinds of questions now about seashells and I am not an expert, but I try to find the answer if I can. It seems that the Queen conch reaches it’s mature size by age five, but it can live up to 30 (sometimes 40) years! Therefore the size of the shell would not necessarily be an indicator of it’s age. Once the shell reaches a certain size it can become thicker, but not larger in general.

I bought my two large conch shells probably twenty years ago. I would no longer buy a shell like this. In fact, they (and the animal inside) are protected now. Do not ever collect one from the wild! Not only is it illegal, you would be contributing to their decline. In their natural habitat, the queen conch – or pink conch – lives in warm, shallow water and can be found among reefs, but maybe not for long. Due to it’s beautiful shell and the tasty (supposedly) critter inside, too many queen conchs have been harvested over the years leaving the population of this magnificent mollusk in decline.

If you ever see a living pink conch, get the camera, photograph it, and then leave it in peace. And don’t order conch from the menu!

Shells in Sun Will Fade

Pink conch shell on porch railing — Pink or Queen Conch Shell

The beautiful coloring of shells won’t last forever and especially if you put them outdoors in the sun. I have learned this the hard way!

I bought a couple of large pink conchs about 20 years ago (I no longer buy seashells) and I’ve been putting them on my sunny porch railing in summer. Lately I’ve noticed that they are looking more faded and not quite so pink and it’s because of the sun! Mollusks spend their time living down in the water, out of the sun so it stands to reason that shells are not made to withstand sunshine.

On the other hand, if your starfish or sand dollars need brightening, just set them out in the sun for a while. They are much more brittle than a sea shell and be sure to bring them in when it rains because water will make them soft.

Queen Conch Seashell Coloring Page Download

This large conch shell is called the queen, or pink, conch. Both names fit as it is a biggie and it’s a beautiful pink inside.

Please help yourself to a copy of this coloring page. Download and print out for personal or homeschool use. Do not re-distribute or sell as the images are mine, and are copyright protected.

My Pink Conch

This large seashell is one I bought over thirty years ago while visiting Sanibel Island. I didn’t know any better at the time and I bought a large sea biscuit sand dollar as well. Shells for sale in shops have usually been acquired by killing the snail or living creature. I would never buy a shell these days.

My pink conch is now very faded, but once it was extraordinarily beautiful.

I’m all for collecting seashells, but not at the expense of the living creature inside. During my trips up and down the ICW (Indian River) near my house I have found some beautiful shells which could not be collected because they were inhabited. I take some photos and leave the creature to go about it’s life.