Lobatus Gigas - Human Uses

Human Uses

Conch meat has been eaten by humans for centuries, and has traditionally been an important part of the diet in many islands in the West Indies. It is consumed raw, marinated, minced or chopped in a wide variety of dishes, such as salads, chowder, fritters, soups, stew, pâtés and other local recipes. In the Spanish-speaking regions, for example in the Dominican Republic, Lobatus gigas meat is known as lambí. Although the queen conch meat is used mainly for human consumption, it is also sometimes employed as fishing bait (usually the foot is utilized for such purpose). L. gigas is among the most important fishery resources in the Caribbean: its harvest value was US$30 million in 1992, increasing to $60 million in 2003. The total annual harvest of meat of L. gigas ranged from 6,519,711 kg to 7,369,314 kg between 1993 and 1998, and later its production declined to 3,131,599 kg in 2001. Data about imports of queen conch meat into the United States shows a total of 1,832,000 kg in 1998, as compared to 387,000 kg in 2009, a drastic reduction of nearly 80%, twelve years later.

Queen conch shells were used by Native Americans and Caribbean Indians in a wide variety of ways. The South Florida Indians (such as the Tequesta), the Carib, the Arawak and Taíno used conch shells to fabricate tools (such as knives, axe heads and chisels), jewelry, cookware and also used them as blowing horns. Aztecs used the shell as part of jewelry mosaics like the double-headed serpent. Brought by explorers, queen conch shells quickly became a popular asset in early modern Europe. In the late 17th century they were widely used as decoration over fireplace mantels and English gardens, among other places. In contemporary times, queen conch shells are mainly utilized in handicraft. Shells are made into cameos, bracelets and lamps, but have also been traditionally used as doorstops or decorations by families of seafaring men. The shell of the queen conch has been, and continues to be, popular as a decorative object, though its export is now regulated and restricted by the CITES agreement.

Very rarely (about 1 in 10,000 conchs), a conch pearl may be found within the mantle of the animal. Though they occur in a range of colors corresponding to the colors of the interior of the shell, the pink conch pearls are considered to be the most desirable. These pearls are considered semi-precious, a popular tourist curio, and the most attractive among them have been used to create necklaces and earrings. A conch pearl is a non-nacreous pearl (formerly referred to by some sources as a 'calcareous concretion' – see the pearl article), which differs from most pearls sold as gemstones.