Queen Conch
Dimensions: Length 25 cm; Width 18.5 cm; Height 13.6 cm;
Outer Lip Thickness: range 1.7 cm : 2.7 cm : 3.1 cm
This was the largest conch found, it was found outside of the transect area, but in an area typical of a lagoon. The conch was 3/4 buried, and filled with sediment. Inside the outer lip, there is slight evidence of a pink gloss, (its original finish). This specimen appears green in color from the mass of encrusting forams and bleaching which it has undergone. The shell's outer surface has been transformed to a heavily pitted and encrusted landscape.
There are serpulid worms, algal mats and what appear to be gastropods encrusted to the surface. Red encrusting foraminifera (Homatrema rubrum) can be found attached to both the inside of the shell as well as littering the outside. The nodes of the whorls have been highly defaced, and eroded. They are distinguishable only as slight protruding mounds. The conical spire appears to have consisted of at least six whorls, but there may have been many more as the tip of the conical spire is not present (it has been eroded away). There is a hole into the shell, between the largest and 2nd largest body whorl.