Queen Conch

Locally, welk can be confused with conch, which are both herbivores, but have different uses.We scoured the internet for some of the most interesting facts about queen conch. Enjoy!

• The exterior of queen conch are colored to help them blend with their sandy surroundings under water.
• Adult queen conch develop a flared lip once they reach reproductive age.
• The thicker the shell’s flared lip is, the older the conch is.
• Queen conch is one of the largest molluscs native to the Caribbean sea and tropical Atlantic.
• Queen conch are also called pink conch. Throughout the Caribbean, local names for queen conch include: caracol rosa, botuto, guarura, and carrucho.
• Conch meat can be eaten raw (e.g., ceviche) or cooked (e.g., chowders, fritters, etc).
• All parts of the conch meat are edible.
• Conch shells can be fashioned into effective blowing horns called shell trumpets.
• Pearls from queen conch are rare and are highly collectible.
• Conch pearls come in a variety of colors, though all can be called “pink pearls”
• Conch shells can be made into all sorts of jewelry with a distinct pink hue.
• Sharp conch shells have been used as weapons, as well as a form of security along the tops of outdoor walls.

Fish for Conch in the US Virgin Islands

Conch season opens in the US Virgin Islands October 1 and runs through June 30. The season is closed all summer, from July 1 through September 30 to facilitate breeding.

• Minimum size 9″ shell length from spire to distal end, or 3/8″ lip thickness.
• Must land whole in shell.
• Limit 6 per day per recreational fisher, not to exceed 24 per boat per day in territorial waters
• Limit 3 per day per fisher, not to exceed 12 per boat.
• No use of hookah gear in federal waters, and 2 per fisher per day in National Park waters.

For questions regarding territorial regulations, contact the DPNR, Division of Environmental Enforcement in St. Thomas (340) 774-3320 ext. 5106.

For the most recent regulations for fishing in Federal waters, contact NOAA Fisheries Service at 727-824-5326 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

More on fishing around the territory here.