Conchs are eatable gastropods very popular as a seafood dish in southern Florida and the islands.  People see conch shells on the beach in Florida and don’t identify them with the food.

The Queen Conch, also called the pink conch, have been so over-harvested for their meat and beautiful shell that they have no been fished since 1985.  Yet, the food is so popular that conch meat is shipped into Florida from the Bahamas.   They are found in sea grass and some coral rubble at moderate depths. 

 There are smaller versions of conch, including the Florida fighting conchs.  The male conchs crash together in combat during mating season, which is where the “konks” got their name.  They are snails and there are experimental farms raising fighting conchs as a food alternative for the ravenous conch eaters of Florida.