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For the Indian Ritual Conch, see Shankha. For other uses, see Conch (disambiguation).
Apertural view of an adult shell of the queen conch Lobatus gigas, from Trinidad & Tobago

Conch (/ˈkɒŋk/ or sometimes /ˈkɒn/)[1] is a common name that is applied to a number of different medium to large-sized sea snails or their shells. The term generally applies to large sea snails whose shell has a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a point at both ends).




The original word is from Sanskrit "shankha". When the Portuguese first encountered India in the Bengal region and the western coast, the local dialects had an "o" pronunciation for the middle "a" and a softening of the initial "sh" and final "kh". The word was pronounced locally as "sonka" which in Portuguese was transliterated as "çoncha" (with very similar pronunciation as "sonka") and alternatively without the final "a". The English word is a loan word directly taken from Portuguese with an English based pronunciation scheme.



The meat of conchs is eaten raw in salads, or cooked, as in fritters, chowders, gumbos, and burgers. All parts of the conch meat are edible.[2] Some people, however, find only the white meat appetizing.

In The Bahamas, conch is typically served in the form of fritters or as salads. Conch is considered to be the country's main dish.



In the The Turks and Caicos Islands, the Annual Conch Festival is held in November each year, located at the Three Queen's Bar/Restautant in Blue Hills. Local restaurateurs compete for the best and most original conch dishes, that are then judged by international chefs. Free sampling of the dishes follows the judging; along with those festivities, other competitions, events, and music performances occur well into the evening.[3]




Musical instruments[edit]

Main article: Conch (instrument)




Many different kinds of molluscs can produce pearls. Pearls from the queen conch, S. gigas, are rare and have been collectors' items since Victorian times.[4] Conch pearls occur in a range of hues, including white, brown and orange, with many intermediate shades, but pink is the colour most associated with the conch pearl, such that these pearls are sometimes referred to simply as "pink pearls".[4] In some gemological texts, non-nacreous gastropod pearls used to be referred to as "calcareous concretions" because they were "porcellaneous" (shiny and ceramic-like in appearance), rather than "nacreous" (with a pearly lustre), sometimes known as "orient". The GIA and CIBJO now simply use the term "pearl" — or, where appropriate, the more descriptive term "non-nacreous pearl" — when referring to such items,[5][6] and under Federal Trade Commission rules, various mollusc pearls may be referred to as "pearls" without qualification.[7]

Although non-nacreous, the surface of fine conch pearls has a unique and attractive appearance of its own. The microstructure of conch pearls comprises partly aligned bundles of microcrystalline fibres that create a shimmering, slightly iridescent effect known as "flame structure". The effect is a form of chatoyancy, caused by the interaction of light rays with the microcrystals in the pearl's surface, and it somewhat resembles Moiré silk.

Other uses[edit]

  • Some American Aboriginals used cylindrical conch columella beads as part of breastplates and other personal adornment.[8]
  • In some Afro-Caribbean and African-American cemeteries, conch shells are placed on graves.[9]



Main article: Shankha







Ancient Peru[edit]

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped the sea and often depicted conch shells in their art.[12]

Literature and the oral tradition[edit]


The famous Old English riddle Ic wæs be Sonde describes a conch: "I was by sound, near seawall, at ocean-stream; I dwelt alone in my first resting place. ... Little did I know that I, ere or since, ever should speak mouthless over mead-benches." Another meaning given to this riddle ‘Ic wæs be Sonde’ is that the sound of the conch corresponds to spiritualised sound as heard in higher realms. In the Hindu tradition, the conch shell is used in ceremony as the sound it makes is said to correspond with higher frequency universal sounds associated with music of the spheres.

In Prakrit poetry, the conch (शंख; shankha) has an erotic connotation:

a still, quiet crane
shines on a lotus leaf
like a conch shell lying
on a flawless emerald plate.

(Hāla's gāhā sattasaī 1.4; tr. M. Selby)


See also[edit]


  1. ^ § 51. 7. Pronunciation Challenges. The American Heritage Book of English Usage. 1996
  2. ^ "Conch". [unreliable source?]
  3. ^ [1].
  4. ^ a b
  5. ^ CIBJO 'Pearl Book'
  6. ^, GIA Gems & Gemology magazine news archive
  7. ^
  8. ^ Hair Pipes.
  10. ^ CITES suspends traConchesConchesde in queen conch shellfish

External links[edit]