Crown Conch (Melongena corona)

Crown Conch is Melongena corona, a predatory marine gastropod in the family Melongenidae. The common name refers to the pointed projections around the shell's whorls.

It inhabits shallow western Atlantic coastal waters, including the Gulf of Mexico, estuaries, salt marshes, seagrass areas, and oyster bars. Those habitats can have changing salinity, which this species tolerates better than many fully marine snails.

It is a slow predator that can eat bivalves such as oysters and mussels, along with other available animal material. Florida studies found faster growth when crown conchs were fed oysters than when they were fed mussels.

Look for a heavy pear-shaped shell with a broad body whorl and crown-like spines or points on the upper whorls. Melongena corona can also occur in smoother and more strongly spined forms, so worn shells may be harder to identify.