 QUEEN CONCH ( STROMBUS GIGAS) IN THE EXUMA CAYS, BAHAMAS by Ned Smith, Ph.D., and Patrick Pitts Division of Marine Science, HARBOR BRANCH OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION |
Most of the breeding adults live in the relatively deep sound water along the
edge of the narrow shelf on the eastern side of the islands. It is here
that the eggs are laid which hatch into larval forms. The larvae progress
through various stages while drifting with the currents. They metamorphose
and take up a benthic existence usually 18-26 days after hatching. The
diagram below illustrates the important stages
in the life of a Queen conch.
(Right) Juvenile conch grazing on benthic diatoms and algae. Baby and juvenile conch are found almost exclusively in the shallows of Great Bahama Bank on the western side of the islands where there is abundant macroalgal food. Oftentimes, juveniles occur in large aggregations over the bank. Literally thousands of small conch can be concentrated over an area of just a few hundred square meters. Sometimes the aggregations can cover large areas, up to 131 hectares (1 hectare = 2.47 acres). This aggregate behavior appears related to 20 increased survivorship realized by juvenile conch in high densities. |
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