Fighting Conch - Strombus alatus - Medium/Large

The Fighting Conch (Strombus alatus) is a fairly robust, thick-shelled conch. It has a greyish shell with a darker brown color on the inside. Its body is greyish and it has two large eyes with obvious irises. Despite the aggressive name, they are algae and detritus eaters and are harmless to other animals.

The True Conchs (Strombus, Lambis, Tibia, Terebellum, Varicospira, and Eustrombus) are algae eaters with some of the most iconic "seashell" shapes. They are usually found buried in the substrate, most often finer sand environments and may live in the open sandbed or on the reef. Some, especially Strombus and Lambis conchs, have well developed eyes that will watch the action around them. These eyes extend from under the lip of the shell and the left eye usually expends from a notch in the side of the shell.

Conchs feed on algae and detritus in the aquarium. They need a large amount of plant matter in their diet and may starve if out-competed for food or if there is not enough algae in the aquarium to support them. Since most conchs - especially larger, mature snails - have large openings, it is best not to keep them in a tank with potential predators like some fish and hermit crabs. Conchs move using their powerful foot to propel themselves. When not buried in the substrate or when threatened, they can appear to hop over the bottom.