When you pick up a shell on the beach, do you think about the creature that lived inside it? This large shell is the Queen Conch (Eustrombus gigas), the shell of a large edible sea snail. This snail is a very valued food and can be either eaten raw in salads or cooked in chowders or stews.

The Queen Conch is found in the Caribbean Sea and has a very beautiful shell. It is a univalve, which means that it is in one part like a snail, and not two parts like a mussel shell. The shell is coiled in a spiral shape. This is an adult shell so it has a flattened outer lip. Its outside is white and chalky but the inside is smooth, translucent and a delicate shade of pink. This is sometimes made into cameos and the whole shell is often used as a decorative ornament. While they are easy to carve, the colour fades gradually. Very occasionally a pink pearl is found in the shell.

Conch shells have been used as trumpets since very early times.  They were used by the Mayan civilisation and are still important in both Hindu and Buddhist ceremonials.