Shell · Species
Triplofusus giganteus
Florida horse conch
The Florida horse conch (Triplofusus giganteus, formerly Pleuroploca gigantea) is the state shell of Florida and the largest snail in the Atlantic at up to 60 cm, with a bright orange aperture and a spiny brown periostracum. Big specimens are prized, and recent studies show the animals take 16 years to mature, so live collection is discouraged. Fossil horse conchs are found in Florida's Pliocene shell pits.
| Habitat | Sand and seagrass to 30 m, southeastern USA and Gulf |
|---|---|
| Regions | Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Yucatán |
| Family | Fasciolariidae |
| Authority (WoRMS) | (Kiener, 1840)· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Status (WoRMS) | accepted· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Classification (WoRMS) | Animalia › Mollusca › Gastropoda › Neogastropoda › Fasciolariidae· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
CITES and protection
Not CITES-listed, but Florida regulates live harvest (bag limits, and county bans on live shelling) and the species is now considered overfished; large old shells are the ones in trade.
Care (Byne's disease)
Large shells are stable; the orange aperture fades in light.
Elsewhere
- WoRMS AphiaID: 420051
- Wikidata: Q140046
- WoRMS / MolluscaBase record
- Wikipedia: Triplofusus giganteus
- CITES Appendices
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Triplofusus giganteus" (Shell family). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/shells/triplofusus-giganteus. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-triplofusus-giganteus,
title = {Triplofusus giganteus},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/shells/triplofusus-giganteus}},
year = {2026},
note = {Shell family article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, worms, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.