1. Strombus gigas The Queen Conch

2. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Order: Mesogastropoda Family: Strombidae Genus: Strombus Species: gigas

3. Spiral shell with a smooth, pink inside ~ 5 pounds and ~ 1 foot long 20-30 years (can be 40) Internal fertilization with egg casings They live in warm, shallow marine water

4. Jobs; income for the country (Caribbean); tourism; food; merchandise Aquarium: ~$1.75- $2.75 each Wild-harvested: ~$6.00-$15.00 /lb U.S. greatest importer Greatly overfished U.S. banned commercial harvest

5. Jobs; income for the country (Caribbean); tourism; food; merchandise Aquarium: ~$1.75- $2.75 each Wild-harvested: ~$6.00-$15.00 /lb U.S. greatest importer Greatly overfished U.S. banned commercial harvest

6. Jobs; income for the country (Caribbean); tourism; food; merchandise Aquarium: ~$1.75- $2.75 each Wild-harvested: ~$6.00-$15.00 /lb U.S. greatest importer Greatly overfished U.S. banned commercial harvest

7. Queen Conch egg cases are either gathered from the wild, or from an “egg farm” Mesh circle in warm shallow waters, slow current; optimal breeding grounds Farms are stocked with an equal ratio of male and female with a density of 1 conch per 100 square ft There is proof that S. gigas can reproduce in a recirculating system, though not as well

9. Eggs hatch after ~5 days Live as planktonic larvae for ~ 18-40 days

10. Larval tank: either static or a flow-through Kept with food until they’re ready for metamorphosis Inducers added; washed off and the conch are left to grow until they reach and avg. size of.12 -.14 inches Metamorphosis tray with screens

11. Can be recirculating or flow-through

13. Larvae: Phytoplanton and Microalgae Nursery: Fed once a day with either a gel-based diet or a commercial conch chow Ground Koi or Catfish pellets, dried Ulva sp. seaweed Commercial feed has an FCR of 1.5:1 (dry weight of feed to total wet weight of conch) Grow-out: Natural food supply maybe supplemented with feed

14. General: Ocean conditions (Salinity = ~35 ppt, Temp = ~30°C ) Shallow marine water Veliger Larvae: Culture: 28° C (or 24-32°C) and 36 ppt (or 26-40 ppt) Inducement: 28-30° C with Laurencia poitei (a red macroalgae) extract and small amounts of hydrogen peroxide Nursery: 27-29° C Shaded areas, with a sand layer and sea water; water speed depends on multiple factors Grow-out: Sandy-bottomed area, medium amount of plants, strong tidal currents to flush the area

15. Smaller conch are ready for market sooner (6-12 months) No high importing costs (seaside hatchery) Replenish wild population Cheaper market prices Grow out is low maintenance They have a really long maturing time (overfishing) There are a lot of steps involved It needs large amounts of space The grown conch are smaller than the wild ones

16. Because they can’t really change direction well, the grow-out pens have to be circular, otherwise all the conch would get stuck in the corners When their blood has oxygen in it, it looks blue due to the hemocyanin (has copper, not iron)