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seagrass lagoon

Gong-gong Strombus canarium Family Strombidae
Sadly, all we often see of this endearing creature nowadays is its empty shell

Jumping Snails! The Gong-gong does not just slowly creep along. Instead, like its relatives in the conch family, it can move in jerks. While most other snails have a broad operculum to seal the shell opening, members of the conch family have a narrow operculum. Instead of a broad flat foot, the Gong-gong has a narrow foot that is strong and muscular. The Gong-gong digs its claw-like operculum into the sand and pushes against it to 'hop' forwards like a pole-vaulter, especially when escaping from predators. The flared shell keeps the Gong-gong down as it hops around and helps it from being rolled about in the currents. If it does get overturned, it also uses its operculum to right itself.

The Gong-gong has large eyes on stalks to help it see where it is going during its rapid movements. There is notch at the tip of the shell through which the left eye stalk usually sticks out. This notch is called the stromboid notch.

Gong-gong Food: The snail eats algae and detritus.

Human uses: The larger conchs are edible and eaten everywhere they are found. In Singapore, gong-gong were once plentiful and a popular dish eaten steamed, fried with chilli or as fritters. Some members of the Conch family are also collected and killed for their beautifully shaped and coloured shells.

Status and threats: Together with some other Strombus spp., gong-gong are now considered rare in Singapore. The Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) of the Americas are listed on CITES II.

Not at Snail's Pace!
The gong-gong pushes against its knife-shaped operculum to hop forwards

From above, you can barely see its eyes and operculum

Peering out
of its shell

quick facts
About 7cm, sometimes seen on the seagrass lagoon

Classification:
Class Gastropoda
Phylum Mollusca

See also ...
Molluscs in general
Gastropods in general

Links
Strombidae on The Gladys Archerd Shell Collection at Washington State University Tri-Cities Natural History Museum website: brief fact sheet on Strombidae with photos
Queen Conch on the Science Now website of the California Academy of Sciences: About the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) of Florida with photos of eggs and a diagram comparing the animal to a squid, and links

Other references

Lim, S., P. Ng, L. Tan, & W. Y. Chin, 1994. Rhythm of the Sea: The Life and Times of Labrador Beach. Division of Biology, School of Science, Nanyang Technological University & Department of Zoology, the National University of Singapore. 160 pp.
Tan, K. S. & L. M. Chou, 2000. A Guide to the Common Seashells of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre. 160 pp.
Ng, P. K. L. & Y. C. Wee, 1994. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened Plants and Animals of Singapore. The Nature Society (Singapore), Singapore. 343 pp.
Tan, Leo W. H. & Ng, Peter K. L., 1988, A Guide to Seashore Life. The Singapore Science Centre, Singapore. 160 pp. online version
Morten, Brian & John Morten, 1983. The Sea Shore Ecology of Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press. 350 pp.
Fiene-Severns, Pauline, Mike Severns and Ruth Dyerly, 2000. Periplus Nature Guides: Tropical Seashells. Periplus Editions. 64pp.
Woodward, Fred, 1993. Identifying Shells. The Apple Press, London. 80 pp.
Harasewych, M.G., 1991 edition. Shells: Jewels from the Sea. Courage Books, USA. 224 pp.

a companion website to the chek jawa guidebook website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com

a companion website to the chek jawa guidebook
website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com