Hawk-wing conch
Lobatus raninus, common name the hawk-wing conch, is a species of medium to large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.
The maximum recorded shell length is 121 mm or up to 130 mm. Like other species in the same genus, Lobatus raninus has a robust, somewhat heavy and solid shell, with a distinct stromboid notch. The body whorl is dorsally ornamented by characteristic coarse spiral ridges. The posterior expansion of the flaring outer lip is always lower than the spire. The color is brownish, with several disperse white spots. Both inner and outer lips are cream or white.
This species is distributed in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Lesser Antilles.
S. raninus lives near seagrass beds, usually in shallow water. The minimum recorded depth is 0.3 m; the maximum recorded depth is 55 m.
Like other species of the genus Strombus, S. raninus is known to be a herbivore.
