Fighting Conch
The fighting conch is a gastropod which feeds on algae and small creatures in the sea. The odontophore (shell) supports a broad ribbon (radula) covered with a few to many thousand “teeth” (denticles). The radula is used in feeding: muscles eject the radula from the mouth, spread it out, and then slide it over the supporting odontophore, carrying particles or pieces of food and debris into the esophagus. Although attached at both ends, the radula grows continuously during the gastropod’s life, with new rows of denticles being formed continuously to replace the worn denticles cast off at the anterior end.
The fighting conch is a gastropod which feeds on algae and small creatures in the sea. The odontophore (shell) supports a broad ribbon (radula) covered with a few to many thousand “teeth” (denticles). The radula is used in feeding: muscles eject the radula from the mouth, spread it out, and then slide it over the supporting odontophore, carrying particles or pieces of food and debris into the esophagus. Although attached at both ends, the radula grows continuously during the gastropod’s life, with new rows of denticles being formed continuously to replace the worn denticles cast off at the anterior end.