Queen
Conch Lab

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Conch Lab

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Conch life cycle

What is Aquaculture?

Aquaculture, also known as aqua-farming, is the rearing of  animals from egg to adult for food and stock enhancement. 


Through aquaculture, queen conch can be harvested for human consumption without removing individuals from the wild.  Farmed queen conch can also be used to restock wild populations.





"Conch Aquaculture Is a powerful tool but should be used with conservation Measures." Megan Davis

Step By step:

Egg Mass Collection

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Hatchery & Metamorphosis

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Juvenile Nursery

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Ranching & Restoration

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Queen Conch Aquaculture User Manual

This comprehensive user manual details step-by-step how to grow queen conch through the stages: egg mass, larvae, metamorphosis, juveniles, microalgae, and feeds. To download the manual follow the link: https://doi.org/10.2983/035.039.0319  You can also request a hard copy through the contact us link. 

The Conch's Life Story

This film by FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute tells the life story of the Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas, formerly genus Strombus). It shows rarely seen footage of larval and juvenile life stages of this commercially important marine snail in The Bahamas and Western Atlantic region. Check it out!

Esta película del Instituto Oceanográfico FAU Harbor Branch relata la vida de la Concha Reina (Lobatus gigas, anteriormente género Strombus). La película muestra imágenes raramente vistas de las etapas de vida larval y juvenil de este caracol marino, el cual es de gran importancia comercial en las Bahamas y la región del Atlántico occidental. ¡Echale un vistazo!

Overview of Queen Conch Aquaculture

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Egg Mass Collection

Egg Farm

Conch Copulation

Conch Sexes

Conch egg farm

Queen conch egg masses can be collected from wild populations or from an egg farm. An egg farm is an enclosure in the wild where adult conch are stocked to ensure a steady supply of egg masses.

Conch Sexes

Conch Copulation

Conch Sexes

Conch sexes

Conch have separate sexes and are sexually mature at 4 years old. The male is on the left and female on the right.

Conch Copulation

Conch Copulation

Conch Laying Egg Mass

Conch breeding

Conch have internal fertilization and the male (right) and female (left) conch need to be at a density of at least 100 conch per hectare (2.2 acres) in order to find each other for mating. 

Photo credit: Michiel van Nierop

Conch Laying Egg Mass

Collection of Egg Masses

Conch Laying Egg Mass

Conch with egg mass

Each female conch lays about 10 egg masses during the summer breeding season, which is typically April to September. 

Collection of Egg Masses

Collection of Egg Masses

Collection of Egg Masses

Collection of conch egg mass

Small portions of the egg mass are collected from the female and brought back to the hatchery inside a bucket of salt water. 

Egg Incubation

Collection of Egg Masses

Collection of Egg Masses

Incubating conch eggs

Queen conch eggs take 3-5 days to hatch and will hatch at 9:00 PM.

Queen Conch Egg Mass Culture Tutorial

Queen Conch Egg Mass Culture

  This video highlights the aquaculture techniques used to collect queen conch egg masses from the field, and how to incubate and hatch the egg masses in a hatchery. Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic, research professor, Dr. Megan Davis takes you through each of the steps. This tutorial was produced for the fishers of the Naguabo Commercial Fishing Association as part of the Saltonstall-Kennedy NOAA Fisheries grant (Award Number NA19NMF4270029) Development of a Fishers Operated Pilot-Scale Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas) Hatchery and Nursery Facility for Sustainable Seafood Supply and Restoration of Wild Populations in Puerto Rico awarded to Megan Davis, Ph.D. (PI) Florida Atlantic University; Raimundo Espinoza, (Co-PI) Conservación ConCiencia; and Carlos Velazquez (collaborating organization), Naguabo Commercial Fishing Association. Queen conch are a regulated and managed species. It is prohibited to collect egg masses without the appropriate permits. 

Cultivo de Masas de Huevos de Carrucho

  En este video se muestran las técnicas de acuicultura utilizadas para la recolección de masas de huevos de carrucho en campo y su posterior proceso de incubación y eclosión en condiciones de criadero. La Dra. Megan Davis, profesora de investigación y oceanografía del instituto Harbor Branch de la Florida Atlantic University, le explica cada uno de los pasos. Este tutorial fue elaborado para los pescadores de la Asociación de Pesca Comercial de Naguabo como parte de la subvención Saltonstall-Kennedy NOAA Fisheries (número de concesión NA19NMF4270029) Desarrollo de un criadero y vivero de caracol reina (Lobatus gigas) a escala piloto operado por pescadores para el suministro sostenible de productos del mar y la Restauración de Poblaciones Silvestres en Puerto Rico; otorgada a Megan Davis, Ph.D. (PI) Florida Atlantic University; Raimundo Espinoza, (Co-PI) Conservación ConCiencia; y Carlos Velázquez (organización colaboradora), Asociación de Pesca Comercial de Naguabo. El caracol rosado es una especie regulada y gestionada. Está prohibido recolectar sus masas de huevos sin los permisos correspondientes.

Récolte des masses d’œufs de lambi

 Cette vidéo met en évidence les techniques d'aquaculture utilisées pour collecter les masses d'œufs de lambis sauvages dans les Caraïbes, et explique comment incuber et faire éclore les masses d'œufs dans une écloserie. Dr. Megan Davis, professeur de recherche au centre Océanographique de L’Université Atlantique de la Floride, vous guide à travers le processus, étape par étape. Ce tutoriel a été réalisé pour les pêcheurs de l’Association de Pêche Commerciale de Naguabo dans le cadre de la subvention Saltonstall-Kennedy NOAA Fisheries (Award Number NA19NMF4270029) Développement d'une écloserie et d'une pépinière de lambis (Lobatus gigas) gerée par les pêcheurs pour un approvisionnement durable en fruits de mer et la restauration des populations sauvages à Porto Rico ; décerné à Megan Davis, Ph.D. (PI) Florida Atlantic University; Raimundo Espinoza, (Co-PI) Conservación ConCiencia; et Carlos Velazquez (organisation collaboratrice), Naguabo Commercial Fishing Association. Les lambis des Caraïbes sont une espèce réglementée et gérée. Il est interdit de collecter leurs masses d'œufs sans les permis appropriés.

Hatchery & Metamorphosis

Egg Mass

Egg Mass Embryos Ready to Hatch

Egg Mass Embryos Ready to Hatch

Conch egg mass

Queen conch egg mass is one continuous strand that is covered in sand grains. The egg mass is about five inches long and has 500,000 eggs. 

Egg Mass Embryos Ready to Hatch

Egg Mass Embryos Ready to Hatch

Egg Mass Embryos Ready to Hatch

Conch egg strands with embryos

Using a microscope, you can see the tiny embryos inside the egg mass strand. For reference, those white pebbles are grains of sand! Once ready to hatch, the embryo's foot will have orange pigments, the velar lobes are visible and the embryo will steadily rotate in its egg capsule. 

Newly Hatched Two-Lobed Veliger

Egg Mass Embryos Ready to Hatch

Newly Hatched Two-Lobed Veliger

2-day old conch veliger

 Newly hatched veligers have a distinct, elongated beak, two velar lobes, and a light-colored gut. The black eye spots and orange pigments on the foot are visible. Shell length is 350 – 370 µm and the shell has 1.5 whorls.

Four-Lobed Veliger

Metamorphosed Conch

Newly Hatched Two-Lobed Veliger

4-day old conch veliger

 By day 4 the velar lobes have indented to form four lobes. The foot has expanded and the orange pigments multiply near the bottom portion of the foot. Phytoplankton makes the veliger digestive glands brown. The cilia on the lobes are used to aid the larvae in feeding, respiration and movement. Shell length is 440 – 470 µm and the shell has 2 whorls. 

Six-Lobed Veliger

Metamorphosed Conch

Metamorphosed Conch

21 day old veliger

This 18 days old veliger has 6 lobes and a dark brown gut from feeding on phytoplankton. As the veliger approaches metamorphosis competency, the foot greatly expands, the adult operculum becomes visible and the orange foot pigment is starting to show dark spots. Some veligers exhibit swim-crawl behavior. The shell length is 830 - 1130 µm and has 3 whorls.

Metamorphosed Conch

Metamorphosed Conch

Metamorphosed Conch

Metamorphosed conch

 Around day 21 the veligers undergo metamorphosis. The conch veliger needs a metamorphic cue to settle. The metamorphosed conch absorbs its velar lobes and crawls with its foot. The eyes have migrated up the tentacles and the proboscis is used for grazing. The shell length two days after settlement is 1280 – 1760 µm.

Juvenile Nursery

2 Month Old Juvenile

1 Year Old: Almost Ready for Stocking

3 to 12 Month Old Juveniles

1-2 month old conch

This 1.5 cm (half an inch) juvenile conch is about 2 months old. In the wild, these juveniles would be buried and very hard to find!

3 to 12 Month Old Juveniles

1 Year Old: Almost Ready for Stocking

3 to 12 Month Old Juveniles

Juvenile queen conch

It takes about 1 year for the conch to grow to 7 cm (3 inches). In the nursery they are fed prepared food from seaweed and chow.  

1 Year Old: Almost Ready for Stocking

1 Year Old: Almost Ready for Stocking

1 Year Old: Almost Ready for Stocking

Juvenile queen conch

Juvenile conch are ready to be stocked in grow out cages for ranching or released in the field for restoration at about 1 year of age at 7-9 cm (3-3.5 inches).

Early Juvenile Nursery System

Early Juvenile Nursery System

1 Year Old: Almost Ready for Stocking

Metamorphosis queen conch system

For the first month after metamorphosis the small juvenile conch are grown on mesh screens and fed flocculated diatoms. 

Small Juvenile Conch Grazing

Early Juvenile Nursery System

Small Juvenile Conch Grazing

Juvenile queen conch grazing

Conch are extremely efficient gazers feeding on diatoms starting at a young age. As shown here they leave nothing behind (see top of image vs. bottom).  In the wild, this function keeps seagrass beds healthy. 

Late Juvenile Nursery System

Early Juvenile Nursery System

Small Juvenile Conch Grazing

Nursery system for aquaculture of queen conch

After the conch are one to two months old they are transferred to trays that are filled with sand. The sand helps the conch to develop their shells and mimics their natural environment.

Ranching & Restoration

1.5 Year Old: Ready for Stocking

1.5 Year Old: Ready for Stocking

1.5 Year Old: Ready for Stocking

Juvenile conch

Conch need to be 7-9 cm (3-3.5 inches) in shell length to be stocked for ranching or restoration. The largest conch in this photo is about 1 to 1.5 years old.

Coastal Ranching

1.5 Year Old: Ready for Stocking

1.5 Year Old: Ready for Stocking

Grow out cages for conch

Ranch enclosures are used to grow the conch for food. The enclosures are secured to the  sandy and seagrass substrate on the bottom and extend above the surface to limit predation.

Inside a Ranch Enclosure

1.5 Year Old: Ready for Stocking

Inside a Ranch Enclosure

Conch ranching

The conch are stocked at 1-2 conch per square meter (10 square feet) in the pasture. The enclosure should be at least 25 meters (80 feet) in diameter. This density mimics that of the wild. If enclosures are stocked higher, then pasture rotation is necessary. 

Display of Conch Ages

Display of Conch Ages

Inside a Ranch Enclosure

Conch sizes

These conch range in age from 1 to 4 years old.

 Size plays an important role in determining stocking and harvesting phases. 

Photo Credit: H. Forrest Thomas

Ranch Stocking

Display of Conch Ages

Restoration Stocking

Restocking conch

Juvenile conch are collected from the nursery tanks  and relocated to the ranch enclosures via boat.

Restoration Stocking

Display of Conch Ages

Restoration Stocking

Restocking conch

Conch are stocked into the wild for restoration by hand to ensure they are sheltered in the seagrass meadow.

Conch Ranching in Colombia, South America

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