Creature Feature - Waved Whelk

Today's featured animal is the Waved Whelk (Buccinum undatum). The Waved whelk is of the phylum mollusca and class gastropoda. This particular whelk makes its home on rocky or gravel substrates with the young living in tide pools, while the older Waved whelks prefer deep water. The shell of the Waved whelk is unique in that is has both axial and spiral ridges, giving it the easily identifiable 'waved' appearance. These whelks are mainly carnivorous and feed on polychaete worms and bivalves. The Waved whelk can force the shell of a bivalve open by using the edge of its own shell or it may also bore a hole into the shell and suck out the inside. The Waved whelk is also known as a scavenger, and will eat dead fish or bait from lobster traps that it can detect from a considerable distance using olfaction. The siphon that is used to direct water over its gills also acts as a sensory organ. The Waved whelk is preyed upon by sea starts, and in Europe is commercially fished. This whelk can live up to 10 years and reach a size of 14cm high.

 

The Waved Whelk; note the siphon protruding from the front.

 

A diagram of the Waved Whelk.