Queen Conch Shell on Bahamas Beach

"Queen Conch Shell on Bahamas Beach" by Catherine Sherman. A queen conch shell glows in the afternoon sun as it rests on the powdery white sand of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. The queen conch Lobatus gigas is herbivorous and lives in seagrass beds, although its habitat varies by development stage. The adult animal has a very large, solid and heavy shell, with knob-like spines on the shoulder, a flared thick, outer lip and a characteristic pink-colored opening. International trade in the Caribbean queen conch is regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) agreement, in which it is listed as Strombus gigas. This species is not endangered in the Caribbean as a whole, but is commercially threatened in numerous areas, largely due to extreme overfishing. The meat of the queen conch is featured in many Caribbean dishes, such as conch fritters, chowder and salad. The empty shells are used widely as decoration.