Conch

Conch is a large marine gastropod of the family Strombidae, most commonly the queen conch (Aliger gigas) found in warm Atlantic waters from Florida to the Caribbean and South America. Known as scungilli in Italian-American cuisine, tinned conch is a staple in New York-area Italian delis and a key ingredient in insalata di mare and pasta preparations. In the Caribbean it appears in conch fritters, conch salad, and stewed preparations. South American producers in Brazil and Peru pack conch in brine for export. La Monica Fine Foods in New Jersey has been the primary US producer of canned scungilli for over a century. The queen conch faces significant population pressure from overfishing across much of its Caribbean range.