STROMBIDAE (Strombs)

The family Strombidae includes the true conchs, tibias, and their allies. Most are extinct. Of the living strombids, most occur in the Indo-Pacific region.

Strombids have long eye stalks, a long and narrow aperture, and a siphonal canal with an indentation near the anterior end called a stromboid notch. Unlike most snails, which glide slowly across the substrate on their foot, strombids have a characteristic leaping motion, using their pointed, sickle-shaped, horny operculum to propel themselves forward in a leaping motion (Parker 1922). They grow a flared lip upon reaching sexual maturity, and they lay eggs in long, gelatinous strands.

The genus Strombus is made up of the true conches in the family Strombidae.

(WIKIPEDIA)

Strombus campbelli is a high spired shell with close-set ribs and shoulder nodules. Body whorl smooth with spiral grooves on lower part, flared outer lip with notch. Common On sandy substrates and weed beds, buries at low tide, emerges when tide returns.

Somewhat resembles a cone shell but is recognisable as a stromb by the notch. Found in coral rubble, macrophyte substrate, sand bottom, shallow subtidal, subtidal.

Lower intertidal zone to 40m in sandy mud bottoms. Rather similar to Strombus dilatatus which has lirae (fine parallel ridges) in the mouth. We couldn’t detect them here so went for S. variabilis.

This stromb was a beautiful, pearly white colour, a complete undamaged shell.