Strombus gracilior
A medium to large true conch of the eastern Pacific.
Last updated
Udo Schmidt from Deutschland · via Wikipedia: Strombus gracilior · CC BY-SA 2.0
Strombus gracilior, commonly known as the Eastern Pacific fighting conch or the Panama fighting conch, is a species of medium to large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs. It is notable for its distinctive shell morphology and its occurrence in the eastern Pacific, where it inhabits sandflats and lagoons.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumMollusca
- ClassGastropoda
- SubclassCaenogastropoda
- OrderLittorinimorpha
- FamilyStrombidae
- GenusStrombus
- SpeciesStrombus gracilior
Named by Sowerby I, 1925
Close relatives
Other species of Strombus with a Codexery entry.
- Strombus alatus Strombus alatus
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Strombus gracilior (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 564727 (CC BY 4.0)
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.1 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Strombus gracilior
Where the strombus gracilior has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (527 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 65 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Background
The shell of Strombus gracilior varies in length from 40 mm to 95 mm and may attain a width of 50 mm. Its high spire is covered with subsutural spines or pointed nodes on the shoulder of the whorls. The shell is yellowish to yellowish-brown, interrupted in the middle with a lighter band, and the aperture and large outer lip are white bordered with orange-brown. A thin, horn-covered periostracum covers the shell.
A similar species in shell sculpture and inner morphological characters is the fighting conch (Strombus pugilis) from the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Phylogenetic studies have placed Strombus gracilior in a group with Strombus alatus and Strombus pugilis, based on at least five shared traits (synapomorphies) in one analysis, while another analysis, using DNA sequences, found Strombus gracilior closely related to Strombus pugilis, Strombus alatus, and Strombus granulatus, suggesting they share a common ancestor.
This species is found on sandflats and lagoons and offshore to 45 m in the Gulf of California along West Mexico and in the Pacific Ocean along Northern Peru.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is a Strombus gracilior shell?
Adult shells typically measure between 40 and 95 millimeters in length and can reach about 50 millimeters in width. That size range places it solidly in the medium-to-large bracket among true conchs.
What does a Strombus gracilior shell look like?
The shell is yellowish to yellowish-brown with a distinctly lighter band running through the middle, while the aperture and outer lip are white bordered by an orange-brown edge. A thin, horn-like periostracum coats the outer surface.
More in Marine Snails: Ceriths, Nassas and Conchs
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Strombus gracilior (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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