174 A?7ierican Seashells 



3 to 4 inches in length. Always with spines on the last whorl, but those 

 on the next to the last whorl are nearly always the largest. Shoulder of 

 outer lip nearly always turns slightly upwards. Color a rich cream-orange 

 to salmon-pink throughout, except for a cobalt-blue splotch of color on the 

 end of the canal. Periostracum very thin and velvety. This is primarily a 

 West Indian species, and apparently will not interbreed with the mainland 

 species, S. alatus. An aberrant form which has club-like spines was unneces- 

 sarily named sloani Leach 1814 and pecidiaris M. Smith 1940. Percy Morris' 

 colored figure (1951, pi. 19, fig. 9) is not pugilis, but alatus. 



Strombus alatus Gmelin Florida Fighting Conch 



Plate 5h 

 South Carolina to both sides of Florida and to Texas. 



3 to 4 inches in length. With or without short spines on the shoulder 

 of the last whorl. Shoulder of outer lip slopes slightly downward. Color 

 a dark reddish brown, often mottled with orange-brown or having zigzag 

 bars of color on the shiny parietal wall. Periostracum very thin and velvety. 

 A very common shallow water species, especially on the west coast of Florida. 

 Not found in the West Indies. Do not confuse with 5. pugilis. 



Strombus gigas Linne Queen Conch 



Plate 23a 



Southeast Florida and the West Indies. Bermuda. 



6 to 1 2 inches in length. Characterized by its large size, large and flaring 

 outer lip, and the rich pinks, yellows and orange shades in the aperture. Peri- 

 ostracum fairly thick and horny. It flakes off in dried specimens. A malform 

 with flattened spines was named borridus M. Smith. A form with a deep chan- 

 nel at the suture occasionally turns up in the Bahamas. It was named canali- 

 culatus L. Burry. S. gigas verrilli McGinty is a form of questionable value 

 described from Lake Worth, Florida. Very common in the West Indies, 

 becoming uncommon in the Florida Keys from over-fishing. Also called the 

 Pink Conch. 



Strombus costatus Gmelin Milk Conch 



Plate 23b 

 Southeast Florida and the West Indies. 



4 to 7 inches in length. Shell very heavy usually, and with low, blunt 

 spines. Parietal wall and thick outer lip highly glazed with cream-white 

 enamel. Outer shell a yellowish white. The periostracum in dried specimens 

 flakes off. Common in the West Indies. 5. spectabilis A. H. Verrill is this 

 species. 





