Milk conch
Strombus costatus
Gmelin, 1791
Description:
The outer surface of the shell is a sort of whitish in color, but can be overgrown by algae or debris. The outline is a short conical spire with rounded spikes. The last winding is by far the largest.
The inside of the shell is a cream colored. The living animal has a greenish appearance, and the head 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 15 cm.
Habitat:
It burrows in the sandy bottoms around seagrass beds and patchy reefs.
Depth: ranges from 1 m down to 15 m.
Distribution:
Common all over the Caribbean.
Remarks:
In most countries it is illegal to bring back these shells from holidays.