Giant crab with corals on his shell??
- Thread starter Amy Dawson
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Amy Dawson
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I just googled conch shells and that's exactly what it's legs looked like. So it would be a conch with corals growing on its back?
stevo01
R33F!N @DD!CT
I'm not convinced it's a conch. They don't have "legs", nor does it make sense as to how it got a rock and coral attached to the shell. I would keep researching, getting more pics, and watch it more at night.
Basic conch anatomy
https://www.google.com/search?q=con...&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=pbkzjnkGc9ad5M:
Basic conch anatomy
https://www.google.com/search?q=con...&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=pbkzjnkGc9ad5M:
ReeferBob
Valuable Member
Have you ever had a conch? They do have legs and they crawl around on them.
stevo01
R33F!N @DD!CT
I've never owned or kept a conch. Do I need to have one to understand conch anatomy? I don't know what anatomy you are referring to specifically, as mollusc's don't have legs. I don't see legs on any true conch's of the strombus genus.
Bob, could you please help me understand? Thank you.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
Conch do not have legs in the truest sense of the word. They do have some leg like appendages that they stick out and use to move. The ones I have seen were black and fairly thick. Not sure how much that differs between species. Very interesting critters to watch. I've only come across them while diving, not in captivity.
ReeferBob
Valuable Member
They have "legs" (and that is probably better in quotes). For practical purposes, they use their "legs" to move around. I wondered if you had one and hence seen it crawling around the tank. They are quite interesting to watch. A group of "legs" comes out from under the shell and scoots it along the bottom. The picture above is exactly what they look like.
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I have had many conch and they have what I would call an appendage to move about. Really freaky if you are holding it and it comes out. 
It is usually black in color. It is kind of like one large claw like appendage that shoots down and out to allow for movement. At least I think it was only one in the ones I have had. Could be two. As you are throwing it back in to stop freaking out and then trying to watch in the tank, I can only see one.
I have had, milk, fighting, queen.
It is usually black in color. It is kind of like one large claw like appendage that shoots down and out to allow for movement. At least I think it was only one in the ones I have had. Could be two. As you are throwing it back in to stop freaking out and then trying to watch in the tank, I can only see one. I have had, milk, fighting, queen.
stevo01
R33F!N @DD!CT
I'm 100% sure I don't have any conch in my tank. Would you mind looking at the basic anatomy link I posted and tell me what you are calling legs. My guess is that you are referring to the Operculum, but just fyi this is termed as a foot. I grew up with the teaching that this animal had a foot, but now I'm learning there are legs. I'm learning new things everyday
I have never kept a conch, but I have caught them in the wild, cooked and eaten them. My family used to do this a loooong time ago as a regular thing. We had a lot of queen shells on display in the house and outside. We used to hunt large cowries too, for obvious reasons. I live in NH, but not from NH. My family has been living on sumerland key since the 60's.
