Queen conch

How it lives

Queen conch are slow-growing and long-lived, usually reaching 25 to 30 years. They mature at about 3.5 to 4 years. Once mature they stop growing longer and the shell lip only grows thicker. Mating needs direct contact, and the spawning season lasts 4 to 9 months. Each egg mass holds about 500,000 to 750,000 eggs, which hatch after about 5 days.

Where it goes

Queen conch move slowly along the seabed. Adults prefer sandy algal flats and are also found on gravel and rubble, while juveniles stay mostly in seagrass. The IUCN describes the species as gathering in groups and spreading out, and records it from the surface to about 90 m. Larvae drift in the water for 21 to 30 days before settling.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

The IUCN assessed queen conch as Near Threatened in 2025, with a decreasing trend and about 743 million mature individuals across its range, which includes Mexico and Venezuela. In 2024 the United States listed it as Threatened under its Endangered Species Act, and international trade is controlled under CITES Appendix II. Overfishing is the main threat, and the species is slow to recover because it is slow-moving and needs close contact to mate.