Growing Conch

Research staff at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute recently captured a rare glimpse of milk conch (Macrostrombus costatus) development via a 15-hour time-lapse video. The eggs are very tiny, smaller than a grain of sand.

The egg mass was laid by milk conch broodstock that are at FAU Harbor Branch. The broodstock are part of a Builders Initiative grant project awarded to the Queen Conch Lab at FAU Harbor Branch and are cared for by research coordinator Amanda Matthews. The video was taken by Alyson Chin using a dissecting microscope.

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