Conch


 * Spider Conchs **


 * [[image:sm_Oct_6_Lambis_Scorpian.jpg width="196" height="174" link="http://www.gastropods.com/7/Shell_1327.shtml"]] || [[image:Lambis_truncata_sebae_1.jpg width="192" height="159" link="http://www.gastropods.com/9/Shell_1069.shtml"]] || [[image:Lambis_lambis_female.jpg width="192" height="167" link="http://www.gastropods.com/6/Shell_136.shtml"]] ||
 * [[image:lambis_crocata.jpg width="179" height="192" link="http://www.gastropods.com/1/Shell_1321.shtml"]] || [[image:malb03.jpg width="170" height="235" link="http://www.gastropods.com/8/Shell_988.shtml"]] || [[image:sm_Lambis_Millipede.jpg width="210" height="191" link="http://www.gastropods.com/7/Shell_137.shtml"]] ||

Spider Conchs Family: Strombidae Genus: Lambis

The Spider Conch has an odd and attractive shell with several claw-like spikes or fingers on the outer lip of the shell. Their soft body is brown with pale freckles and their long proboscis and stalked eyes peek out from below the shell. These snails often colonize on sandy bottoms in the South Pacific, often near red algae blooms where they feed.

The long spines on its shell are found only on adults and gives it its common name. Where common, it is often collected for food by coastal populations, and the shell used in shellcrafts.

It is widely believed that there are only 9 sub-species of Spider Conchs, divided into three categories. These include:

Subgenus Lambis:
 * Lambis crocata crocata (Link, 1807) (Orange Spider Conch)
 * Lambis truncata truncata (Humphrey, 1786) (Truncate Spider Conch)
 * Lambis lambis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Common Spider Conch)

Subgenus Millepes:
 * Lambis digitata (Perry, 1811) (Elongate Spider Conch)
 * Lambis millepeda (Linnaeus, 1758) (Millepede Spider Conch)
 * Lambis robusta (Swainson, 1821) (False Scorpion Conch)
 * Lambis scorpius scorpius (Linnaeus, 1758) (Scorpion Conch)
 * Lambis violacea (Swainson, 1821) (Violet Spider Conch)

Subgenus Harpago:
 * Lambis chiragra chiragra (Linnaeus, 1758) (Chiragra Spider Conch)