{"elementGlobalId":120832,"circumscripConfidence":null,"classificationLevel":{"id":7,"classificationLevelNameEn":"Species","classificationLevelNameEs":"Especies","classificationLevelNameFr":"Espèce"},"classificationStatus":{"id":1,"classificationStatusDescEn":"Standard","classificationStatusDescEs":"Estándar","classificationStatusDescFr":"Standard"},"iucn":null,"nameCategory":{"id":2,"nameCategoryDescEn":"Invertebrate Animal","nameCategoryDescEs":"Animal invertebrado","nameCategoryDescFr":"Animal invertébré","nameTypeCd":"A","nameTypeDesc":"Zoological"},"rankMethodUsed":null,"formattedScientificName":"<i>Aliger gigas</i>","scientificName":"Aliger gigas","scientificNameAuthor":"(Linnaeus, 1758)","primaryCommonName":"Queen Conch","relatedItisNames":"<i>Strombus gigas</i> Linnaeus, 1758 (TSN 72558)","uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.120832","elcode":"IMGASU1020","conceptRefFullCitation":"Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.","conceptName":"<i>Strombus gigas</i>","taxonomicComments":"Petuch (2004) and Petuch and Roberts (2007) recombined this species as <i>Eustrombus gigas</i>, Landau et al. (2008) recombined it as <i>Lobatus gigas</i>. In 2020, it was recombined as <i>Aliger gigas</i> by Maxwell et al. (2020).","roundedGRank":"G3","conservationStatusFactorsEditionDate":"2014-02-28","conservationStatusFactorsEditionAuthors":"Almquist, D. T. (2014); Cordeiro, J. (2008)","primaryCommonNameLanguage":"EN","recordType":"SPECIES","elementNationals":[{"elementNationalId":818628,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":225,"nameEn":"United States","nameEs":"Estados Unidos","nameFr":"États-Unis","isoCode":"US","region":"United States"},"roundedNRank":"N2","elementSubnationals":[{"elementSubnationalId":887055,"subnation":{"id":12,"nameEn":"Florida","nameEs":"Florida","nameFr":"Floride","subnationCode":"FL","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S3","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S3","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":887055,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"nrankReviewYear":2008,"nrank":"N1N3","speciesNational":{"elementNationalId":818628,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"lastModified":"2026-10-02T22:24:25.20026Z","lastPublished":"2026-10-02T21:32:08.892226Z","promotionalDescription":null,"conceptLineageSummary":null,"nsxUrl":"/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.120832/Aliger_gigas","grankAdjustmentReasons":null,"grankChangeDate":"2014-02-28","grankReviewDate":"2014-02-28","grankReasons":"This species has a very large range and appears to have many occurrences, but it is being heavily exploited throughout most of its range and there is evidence of decline in some areas parts of its range.","grank":"G3G4","rankInfo":{"elementGlobalId":120832,"aooPercentGood":null,"enviromentalSpecificity":{"id":9,"enviromentalSpecificityDescEn":"Moderate to broad.","enviromentalSpecificityDescEs":"Moderado a amplio.","enviromentalSpecificityDescFr":"De modéré à vaste."},"intrinsicVulnerability":{"id":7,"intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEn":"Unknown","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEs":"Desconocido","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescFr":"Inconnu"},"longTermTrend":{"id":34,"longTermTrendDescEn":"Decline of <50% to increase of <25%","longTermTrendDescEs":"Disminución de <50% a aumento de <25%.","longTermTrendDescFr":"Diminution de <50 % à augmentation de <25 %"},"numberEos":{"id":12,"numberEosDescEn":"21 to >300","numberEosDescEs":"De 21 a >300","numberEosDescFr":"De 21 à >300"},"numberGoodEos":{"id":22,"numberGoodEosDescEn":"Unknown","numberGoodEosDescEs":"Desconocido","numberGoodEosDescFr":"Inconnu"},"numberProtEos":{"id":16,"numberProtEosDescEn":"Unknown whether any occurrences are appropriately protected and managed","numberProtEosDescEs":"Se desconoce si se protege y controla adecuadamente algúna ocurrencia","numberProtEosDescFr":"Nombre inconnu d’occurrences protégées et contrôlées convenablement"},"popSize":{"id":33,"popSizeDescEn":"10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals","popSizeDescEs":"De 10.000 a >1.000.000 de individuos","popSizeDescFr":"De 10 000 à >1 000 000 individus"},"rangeExtent":{"id":35,"rangeExtentDescEn":">2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)","rangeExtentDescEs":">2.500.000 kilómetros cuadrados (más ","rangeExtentDescFr":">2 500 000 km carrés (plus de 1 000 000 miles carrés)"},"shortTermTrend":{"id":33,"shortTermTrendDescEn":"Decline of <50% to Relatively Stable","shortTermTrendDescEs":"Disminución de <50% a relativamente estable","shortTermTrendDescFr":"Diminution de <50 % à relativement stable"},"threatImpactAssigned":{"id":2,"threatImpactAssignedDescEn":"Very high - high","threatImpactAssignedDescEs":"Muy alto - alto","threatImpactAssignedDescFr":"Très élevé — élevé"},"rangeExtentComments":"This species is known from North Carolina, USA, through the Gulf of Mexico and south to Argentina.","areaOfOccupancy":null,"areaOfOccupancyComments":null,"numberEosComments":"This is a very widespread species with at least 50 recorded localities, but most populations are under heavy pressure from fishing (FAO 2006).","popSizeComments":"After the Florida and U.S. harvest bans in 1985 and 1986 less than 6000 adult conch remained in the Florida keys (Glazer and Delgado, 2003).  Since then ongoing surveys have shown a slow and very limited recovery with an estimated 25,500 adults in 2006 (Delgado and Glazer 2007). However, Human et al. (2013) characterized this species as \"common\" in Florida, USA, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas.","viabilityComments":null,"threatImpactComments":"The greatest threat to this species is commercial fisheries and poaching as the conch fishery crashed in Florida and has not recovered to exploitable levels despite a 20 year fishing moratorium (state ban 1985, federal ban 1986 in U.S.) and active reintroduction program (Glazer and Delgado, 2003).  Similar crashes have occurred throughout other countries in the species' range and despite various fishing regulations and moratoria through CITES, the species continues to decline to below harvestable levels,  but it has been characterized as \"common\" in a significant portion of its range (Humann et al. 2013).","shortTermTrendComments":"After the Florida and U.S. harvest bans in 1985 and 1986 less than 6000 adult conch remained in the Florida keys (Glazer and Delgado, 2003).  Since then ongoing surveys have shown a slow and very limited recovery with an estimated 25,500 adults in 2006 (Delgado and Glazer, 2007).  This species is being heavily fished almost everywhere that it occurs (FAO 2006), but it has been characterized as \"common\" in a significant portion of its range (Humann et al. 2013).","longTermTrendComments":"After the Florida and U.S. harvest bans in 1985 and 1986 less than 6000 adult conch remained in the Florida keys (Glazer and Delgado, 2003).  Since then ongoing surveys have shown a slow and very limited recovery with an estimated 25,500 adults in 2006 (Delgado and Glazer, 2007). This species is being heavily fished almost everywhere that it occurs (FAO 2006), but it has been characterized as \"common\" in a significant portion of its range (Humann et al. 2013).","inventoryNeeds":"Surveys are needed in and around this species' known range, especially in areas not normally exploited for harvest, are needed.","numberProtEosComments":"CITES issued injunctions in 2003 and 2004 to halt export trade of this species from several countries (Dominican Republic, Honduras, Haiti, Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago) and initiated reviews of a number of other conch-producing countries.  The current regulatory framework for regional fisheries has failed to protect stocks.  Acosta (2006) suggests a moratorium under CITES may be warranted.","protectionNeeds":"Proper management, including bans or limits on harvest in some areas where it may have been overfished, is needed.","otherConsiderations":null,"intrinsicVulnerabilityComments":null,"enviromentalSpecificityComments":"sea grass beds and soft substrates to 25 m"},"animalCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":120832,"majorHabitat":{"id":1,"majorHabitatDescEn":"Marine","majorHabitatDescEs":"Marino","majorHabitatDescFr":"Marine"},"nonMigrant":false,"localMigrant":false,"longDistanceMigrant":false,"mobilityMigrationComments":null,"foodHabitsComments":null,"animalPhenologyComments":null,"colonialBreeder":false,"length":null,"width":null,"weight":null,"animalPhenologies":[],"animalFoodHabits":[]},"occurrenceDelineations":[{"eoSpecsDetailId":-1,"locationUseClass":null,"eoSpecGroupName":"Default","subtypes":null,"inferredExtentDistance":null,"inferredExtentNotes":null,"minimumEoCriteria":null,"mappingGuidance":null,"separationBarriers":null,"separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":1.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":1.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":null,"versionDate":null,"versionAuthor":null,"versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-02-25T14:20:12.251048Z"}],"plantCharacteristics":null,"elementManagement":{"elementGlobalId":120832,"eoManagementGroupName":null,"stewardshipOverview":"The proactive strategy for restoring Florida's depleted population includes increasing the spawning stock by translocating reproductively deficient individuals into existing spawning aggregations where previous research has shown translocated conch will develop normally.  A study by Delgado and Glazer (2007) showed displacement of native conch populations does not occur following relocation of conch from non-viable sites and that translocating conch into spawning aggregations does not have adverse consequences relative to the interactions among conspecifics.","impacts":null,"restorationPotential":null,"siteConservationPlansConsidered":null,"managementMethods":null,"monitoringMethods":null,"managementProgramContacts":null,"monitoringProgramContacts":null,"managementResearchPrograms":null,"managementResearchNeeds":null,"biologicalResearchNeeds":"Monitoring of populations of this species throughout its range is needed.","additionalTopics":null},"occurrenceViabilities":[{"eoRankSpecsDetailId":121795,"eoRankSpecsGroupName":null,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"excellentViability":null,"goodViability":null,"fairViability":null,"poorViability":null,"viabilityJustification":"Use the Generic Guidelines for the Application of Occurrence Ranks (2008).<br>The Key for Ranking Species Occurrences Using the Generic Approach provides a step-wise process for implementing this method.","versionDate":null,"versionAuthor":null,"versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-05-14T03:10:14.767912Z"}],"references":[{"id":510703,"citation":"Acosta, C.A. 2006. Impending trade suspension of Caribbean queen conch under CITES: a case study on fishery impacts and potential for stock recovery. Fisheries, 31(12): 601-606.","shortCitationAuthor":"Acosta","shortCitationYear":2006,"referenceCode":"A06ACO01EHUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T19:09:52.668589Z"},{"id":630210,"citation":"Delgado, G.A. and R.A. Glazer. 2007. Interactions between translocated and native queen conch <i>Strombus gigas</i>: evaluating a restoration strategy. Endangered Species Research, 3: 259-266.","shortCitationAuthor":"Delgado and Glazer","shortCitationYear":2007,"referenceCode":"A07DEL01EHUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T19:09:52.668589Z"},{"id":762069,"citation":"Food and Agriculture Administration, United Nations. 2006. Regional workshop on the monitoring and management of queen conch, <i>Strombus gigas</i>; Kingston, Jamaica, 1-5 May 2006. FAO Fisheries Report No. 832. 170 pp.","shortCitationAuthor":"FAO","shortCitationYear":2006,"referenceCode":"N06FAO01HQUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T19:09:52.668589Z"},{"id":630211,"citation":"Glazer, R.A. and G.A. Delgado. 2003. Towards a holistic strategy to managing Florida's queen conch (<i>Strombus gigas</i>) population. Pages 73-80 in Aldana Aranda D (ed.) El caracol <i>Strombus gigas </i>conocimiento integral para su manajo sustentable en el Caribe. CYTED, Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Technologia para el Desarrollo, Yucatan.","shortCitationAuthor":"Glazer and Delgado","shortCitationYear":2003,"referenceCode":"A03GLA01EHUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T19:09:52.668589Z"},{"id":1118009,"citation":"Landau, B.M., G.C. Kronenberg, and G.S. Herbert. 2008. A large new species of <i>Lobatus </i>(Gastropoda: Strombidae) from the neogene of the Dominican Republic, with notes on the genus. The Veliger 50(1):31-38.","shortCitationAuthor":"Landau et al.","shortCitationYear":2008,"referenceCode":"A08LAN01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-09-30T23:02:35.298689Z"},{"id":1118008,"citation":"Maxwell, S.J., A.M Dekkers, T.L. Rymer, and B.C. Congdon. 2020. Towards resolving the American and West African Strombidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Neostromboidae) using integrated taxonomy. The Festivus 52(1):3-38.","shortCitationAuthor":"Maxwell et al.","shortCitationYear":2020,"referenceCode":"A20MAX01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-09-30T23:02:35.283079Z"},{"id":1118013,"citation":"National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 2022. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Proposed Rule to List the Queen Conch as Threatened Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Federal Register 87(173):55200-55239.","shortCitationAuthor":"NMFS","shortCitationYear":2022,"referenceCode":"N22NMF02NAUS","lastModified":"2022-09-30T23:02:35.298689Z"},{"id":1139484,"citation":"National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 2024. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Listing the Queen Conch as Threatened Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Federal Register 89(31):11208-11226.","shortCitationAuthor":"NMFS","shortCitationYear":2024,"referenceCode":"N24NMF01NAUS","lastModified":"2024-03-02T02:03:53.258705Z"},{"id":1118012,"citation":"Petuch, E.J. 2004. Cenozoic Seas: The view from Eastern North America. CRC Press. pp. 1–308. ISBN 978-0-8493-1632-6.","shortCitationAuthor":"Petuch","shortCitationYear":2004,"referenceCode":"B04PET01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-09-30T23:02:35.298689Z"},{"id":1118010,"citation":"Petuch, E.J., and C.E. Roberts. 2007. The geology of the Everglades and adjacent areas. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 1-212. ISBN 978-1-4200-4558-1.","shortCitationAuthor":"Petuch and Roberts","shortCitationYear":2007,"referenceCode":"B07PET01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-09-30T23:02:35.298689Z"},{"id":116116,"citation":"Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.","shortCitationAuthor":"Turgeon et al.","shortCitationYear":1998,"referenceCode":"B98TUR01EHUS","lastModified":"2023-08-05T01:08:17.193393Z"}],"otherCommonNames":[],"speciesGlobal":{"elementGlobalId":120832,"cites":{"id":2,"citesDescEn":"Appendix II","citesDescEs":"Apéndice II","citesDescFr":"Annexe II"},"cosewic":null,"fwsRegion":null,"genusSize":{"id":2,"genusSizeDescEn":"Very small genus","genusSizeDescEs":"Un género muy pequeño","genusSizeDescFr":"Très petit genre"},"jurisEndem":{"id":5,"jurisEndemDescEn":"occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations","jurisEndemDescEs":"Se encuentra en varias naciones (de manera regular, como un taxón nativo)","jurisEndemDescFr":"Se trouve dans plusieurs nations (de façon régulière, tel un taxon indigène)"},"nomenclaturallyEst":null,"usesa":{"id":2,"usesaDescEn":"Threatened","usesaDescEs":"Catalogado como amenazado","usesaDescFr":"Menacée","usesaCode":"T"},"informalTaxonomy":{"informalTaxonomyId":15,"level1":"Animals","level2":"Mussels, Snails, & Other Molluscs","level3":"Other Molluscs","level":3,"hasChildren":false,"parentId":11,"distributionStatus":"not","displayOrder":2040},"parentSpecies":null,"infraspecies":false,"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Mollusca","taxclass":"Gastropoda","taxorder":"Littorinimorpha","family":"Strombidae","genus":"Aliger","americanFisheriesStatus":null,"americanFisheriesStatusDate":null,"saraStatus":null,"saraStatusDate":null,"cosewicDate":null,"interpretedCosewic":null,"cosewicComments":null,"usesaDate":"2024-03-15","interpretedUsesa":null,"usesaComments":"NMFS (2024) are listing the queen conch as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The listing was published in the Federal Register on February 14, 2024; the final rule is effective on March 15, 2024.","completeDistribution":true,"synonyms":[{"id":148524,"synonym":"Eustrombus gigas","synonymAuthor":"(Linnaeus, 1758)","formattedSynonym":"<i>Eustrombus gigas</i>"},{"id":148523,"synonym":"Lobatus gigas","synonymAuthor":"(Linnaeus, 1758)","formattedSynonym":"<i>Lobatus gigas</i>"},{"id":148522,"synonym":"Strombus gigas","synonymAuthor":"Linnaeus, 1758","formattedSynonym":"<i>Strombus gigas</i>"}],"infraspeciesList":[],"ebarId":null,"ebarCanadianScope":false,"ebarGlobalScope":false,"ebarKbaGroup":"Invertebrates","caGeneralStatusId":null},"speciesCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":120832,"reproductionComments":null,"ecologyComments":null,"habitatComments":null,"generalDescription":null,"diagnosticCharacteristics":null,"speciesMarineHabitats":[],"speciesTerrestrialHabitats":[],"speciesRiverineHabitats":[],"speciesPalustrineHabitats":[],"speciesLacustrineHabitats":[],"speciesSubterraneanHabitats":[],"speciesEstuarineHabitats":[]},"primaryReference":{"id":1118008,"citation":"Maxwell, S.J., A.M Dekkers, T.L. Rymer, and B.C. Congdon. 2020. Towards resolving the American and West African Strombidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Neostromboidae) using integrated taxonomy. The Festivus 52(1):3-38.","shortCitationAuthor":"Maxwell et al.","shortCitationYear":2020,"referenceCode":"A20MAX01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-09-30T23:02:35.283079Z"},"predecessors":[],"elementGlobalThreatAssessments":[]}