Whelks

Whelks are common marine gastropods. Their spiral shells are typically heavy and thick with many having a spiny appearance. The common species found in Cornwall are Dogwhelk Nucella lapillus, Netted Dogwhelk Hinia reticulate, Common Whelk Buccinun undatum, Thick lipped Dog whelk, Nassarius incrassatus and sting whelk, Ocenebra erinacea.

      Dogwhelk Nucella lapillus

       Sting Winkle Ocenebra erinacea

       Netted Dogwhelk Hinia reticulata

        Thick lipped Dog whelk Nassarius incrassatus

       Common Whelk Buccinun undatum

Dogwhelk Nucella lapillus

Their shells come in a wide range of colours and stripes. The thickness of the shell varies, tending to be thicker on stormier shores. They are found from the middle shore down to the sublittoral.

They are voracious carnivores, and will feed on many shellfish species. However their primary prey are mussels and barnacles, both are the dominate species on exposed to semi-exposed shores, in these environments dog whelks can thrive.

Dog whelks bore through mollusc shells with their tongues (the radula), while in the case of barnacles the foot is used to dislodge the plates, both techniques allowing them to reach the edible soft parts

Dogwhelk Eggs

In spring, on rocks among the mussel beds, the yellow eggs of the dog whelk can be seen in the thousands.

Bored Hole in Mussel

Dogwhelks Come in a Wide Range of Colours and Stripes.

Netted Dogwhelk Nassarius reticulata

Common on the lower shore, in sandy and silty parts of rocky shores. This brown shell reaches just over an inch. The shell is ridged, both down and across it, hence the name netted (reticulated). The netted dog whelk is a scavenger of carrion.

Common Whelk Buccinun undatum

A large shellfish that can grow up to 5 inches in length. Such large specimens are normally found at depths. Smaller specimens can be found at the lowest tide marks.

They are carnivourous, feeding on a variety of shellfish and will even scavenge carrion such as dead fish.

The egg clusters of this whelk are stranded on beaches in their thousands. The clusters are comprised of individual cells, each cell containing about 10 eggs. However it is normal for the first lavae to develop in each cell, to eat the others.

Sting Winkle Ocenebra erinacea

Sting winkles’ shell are very heavily ridged, more so than any of the other whelk species found in Cornwall.

The shell can reach two inches in length. Sting winkles feed on bivalves, including oysters and are sometimes known as oyster drills.

Thick lipped Dog Whelk Nassarius incrassatus

A common small whelk only which only reaches a length of half an inch. It has a distinctive deeply cut criss-cross patterned shell. The shell is brownish with a dark smudge on the siphonal canal. The thick lip is commonly toothed.