Lentigo lentiginosus

Lore & Background

The silver conch lives on coral and sandy bottoms in clear water, commonly found on barrier or lagoon reefs in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones to a depth of around 4 m. It is rarely seen buried in the sand. The shell is very heavy and thick, with a tall spire; each whorl of the spire has a row of heavy knobs and grooves that nearly completely fold over each other. The body whorl has a notably irregular surface ornamented by spiral cords and rows of blunt tubercles that form elevated knobs on the shoulder. The inner lip is smooth, with a large callus that often spreads over the spire and over the body whorl. The shell color is usually white with large irregular brown blotches and dots occurring at intervals over the shell surface. The columellar callus has a characteristic faint silvery gloss. The lateral margin of the outer lips has a series of tan blotches. The aperture is pink to orange on the interior, becoming paler towards the margins. The columella is anteriorly projected, and the siphonal canal is convex.

Reader's Guide

Lentigo lentiginosus is a herbivorous species, like other members formerly placed in the genus Strombus. Its flesh is edible and locally collected for food. The shell is used in shellcraft and is commonly sold in local markets around the central Philippines. The species is widespread across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa including Aldabra, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Tanzania to eastern Polynesia, and also in southern Japan and northern Australia. The shell is also known to be occupied by the hermit crab Dardanus guttatus, as seen in an image of that crab inhabiting an empty shell of L. lentiginosus. The species is rarely seen buried in the sand, preferring coral and sandy bottoms in clear water on barrier or lagoon reefs. Its heavy, thick shell with a deep stromboid notch and flared outer lip, combined with the silvery gloss on the columellar callus, makes it distinctive among strombids.

Did You Know?

• The maximum shell length of Lentigo lentiginosus is 100 mm, but it more commonly grows up to 75 mm.
• The columellar callus has a characteristic faint silvery gloss, giving the species its common name 'silver conch'.
• The hermit crab Dardanus guttatus has been observed occupying an empty shell of L. lentiginosus.
• The aperture interior is pink to orange, becoming paler towards the margins.