Conchs???? Help

[daddyyankee]

I just bought a conch a couple of weeks ago. I dont remeber what type it is. my question is do they go under the sand because i have not seen it at all since i put it in my tank. do they like to hide or something.

 

[pagojoe]

Hmm, it depends. Most don't, a few will go hide under coral slabs/live rock, and one or two may burrow in the sand. The ones most likely to burrow under the sand are Strombus (Gibberulus) gibberulus gibbosus.

http://www.gastropods.com/8/Shell_1378.html

Is this the guy?



Don

 

[RicksReefs]

just because their in the family Strombidae doesn't make them strombus conchs. all strombus conchs that I've kept (at least a half dozen species) will burrow. it's common behavior while waiting for the tide to slack off in the grass beds. I've had strombus alatus and strombus raninus (among others) stay buried for weeks at a time.

 

[pagojoe]

As I think about it, I guess there probably are more conchs that will bury themselves than those that don't. The larger species usually don't (latissimus, thersites, and the Lambis species), and there are several smaller species that are usually reef-associated, and these don't normally bury themselves. Actually, being in the family Strombidae DOES make them "Strombus Conchs" by definition, since the English name is taken from the family name, and any other "conch" isn't a conch at all.

Cheers,


Don