Hawkwing conch
Strombus raninus
Gmelin, 1791

Description:
The outer surface of the shell is mottled brown or reddish in color, but can be overgrown by algae or debris. The outline is a short conical spire with two spikes on the last whorl. The last whorl is by far the largest.
The inside of the shell is reddish colored. The head of the living animal has a large proboscis and two eyestalks. The opening can be closed off with a long, claw-like plate, called the operculum.
When disturbed, the animal will retreat into the shell, closing it with the operculum.
Size: the shell can reach up to 8 cm.

Habitat:
It burrows in the sandy bottoms around seagrass beds and patchy reefs.
Depth: ranges from 1 m down to 15 m.

Distribution:
Occasional all over the Caribbean.

Remarks:
In most countries it is illegal to bring back these shells from holidays.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Prosobranchia
Genus Strombus
Species Strombus raninus

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Not included in WoRMS database

Scientific synonyms and common names

Hawkwing conch [English]
Lambis curruca Röding, 1798
Strombus sulcatus G. Fischer, 1807
Strombus quadratus G. Perry, 1811
Strombus bituberculatus Lamarck, 1822
Strombus lobatus Swainson, 1823
Strombus costosomuricatus Mörch, 1852
Strombus nanus Bales, 1942
Strombus wilsonorum Petuch, 1994
Strombus praeraninus Kronenberg & Dekker, 2000

Humann, P., 1992. Reef Creature Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas, (ed. N. Deloach). New World Publications, Inc., Paramount Miller Graphics, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida.

You can continue searching for Strombus raninus on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

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