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The Farming Trochus in Agricultural Science Directory

Trochus niloticus Mollusca: Gastropoda is commonly known as the topshell or trochus shell and by various names in the countries where it occurs naturally. It is a large, conicalshaped, marine gastropod snail of shallow tropical reefs that can attain a size of over 120 mm, measured across the base. The shell of trochus has external mottled redgreen and white bands and a thick inner layer of motherofpearl nacre, which makes it valuable for manufacture of jewellery and buttons for highlypriced garments. The current global demand for trochus shell is estimated at 7,000 tonnes annually, worth about A$50 $60 million. Due to an increasing value and demand for shell, trochus stocks on many reefs in Australia and the IndoPacific have been overexploited. This trend has fuelled much research on mass production of juveniles in hatcheries and restocking techniques which aim to provide methods for stock enhancement.

Address: P O Box 55, Mount Hawthorn WA 6916
Telephone: (08) 9340 5056
Fax: (08) 9340 5100
Website: http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/aqwa/Trochus/index.php?0308