In the late 90's I personally raised these Conch at the lab. These are as fine a natural specimen as you will ever find.
Their entire life spent in a fiberglass tank. There was attrition and I collected some.
Not so long ago the Florida Keys was renowned for it's Queen Conch population. So abundant that many a tourist would take one from near shore only to discard along the road driving back North. Nothing quite stinks like a rotting
shellfish. A tragedy in so many ways.
Today Queen Conch are very rare in South Florida. Pollution has decimated the population. An attempt was made to raise and plant the area. The project I worked that produced these shells. Failed, the pollution must go first. So may humans dumping sewage from land and from boats.
Then came a hurricane that wiped out the entire grounds of the research center. Swept away the Conch tanks and all the other fish ponds.
HB mineral bottom shelf