Lobatus goliath

Lobatus goliath

Titanostrombus goliath, Goliath conch

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SPECIES
Lobatus goliath

Titanostrombus goliath, previously known as Lobatus goliath and Strombus goliath, common name the goliath conch, is a species of very large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs. T. goliath is one of the largest mollusks of the Western Atlantic Ocean, and also one of the largest species among the Strombidae. It was once considered endemic to Brazil, but specimens have also been recently found in the waters of Barbados. Brazilian common names for this species include búzio de chapéu or búzio (in Ceará state), and búzio de aba or buzo in (Bahia state). Some phylogenetic hypotheses consider T. goliath as closely related to the queen conch, Aliger gigas.

Appearance

The maximum reported length for an adult shell of Titanostrombus goliath is 380 mm (15 in). The goliath conch has a very large, heavy and solid shell, with a very conspicuous, widely flaring and thickened outer lip. The stromboid notch is rather inconspicuous in adult individuals, but it can be identified as a secondary anterior indentation to the right of the siphonal canal in a non-sinistral shell, assuming it is viewed ventrally, with its anterior end pointing down. Unlike the similarly-sized queen conch, Aliger gigas, the aperture of the shell of the Goliath conch is colored tan, and not pink. T. goliath has also a shorter spire and duller spines as compared to the queen conch, and the outer lip frequently expands far beyond the length of the spire in the shells of adult individuals.

Distribution

Geography

Titanostrombus goliath is found along the northeastern and southeastern coast of Brazil, including several Brazilian states, such as Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Bahia and Espirito Santo and insular regions, such as Abrolhos Marine National Park.

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Since October 2008, a small population of both juvenile and adult specimens of Titanostrombus goliath were reported by fishermen to have been established in at least two locations along the west coast of Barbados. According to Professor Hazel A. Oxenford of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, the means by which T. goliath came to dwell in Barbadian waters are not entirely clear; but the most likely explanation was that Goliath conch larvae were brought over from Brazilian to Barbadian waters by an 'extreme oceanographic event' involving the North Brazilian Current (NBC). Oxenford also assessed that the species was not invasive and unlikely to pose a threat to native marine flora and fauna, but opined that overfishing could cause severe depletion of its numbers.

The minimum recorded depth for this species is 0 m, and the maximum recorded depth is 50 m.

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Habits and Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

Population

References

1. Lobatus goliath Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobatus_goliath

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