Slide Show : Gastropod Shells

(Photo: Jean Allsopp)
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Conch
All 70 known species inhabit tropical waters. Three of the seven species found in the tropical western Atlantic may be found as far north as Florida. Shells of the American species are large (2 to 12 inches high) and thick, with an extended outer lip. Another characteristic of these shells is a series of spines on the last two whorls near the spire.