Waved whelk
The waved whelk, scientifically known as Buccinum undatum, is a marine gastropod found in the North Atlantic. Its shell is characterized by a swirling shape with several whorls and varies in color from yellowish brown to chalky gray. Typically inhabiting muddy gravel or sandy-bottomed waters, waved whelks can be found at depths ranging from 6 to 500 feet, growing up to 4 inches in deeper areas. These creatures are carnivorous, primarily preying on bivalve mollusks, sea snails, and other marine organisms. They use a specialized feeding structure called a radula to pry open the shells of their prey.
Waved whelks play a role in their ecosystem, but they also face threats from natural predators and fishing activities. After mating, females lay over 1,000 eggs in protective capsules, although only a small fraction survive to maturity. The waved whelk has a life span of up to 40 years and is not considered a threatened species. Its unique anatomical features, including tentacles equipped with eyes and a siphon for drawing in water, contribute to its adaptability in various marine environments.
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Waved whelk
The Latin name, Buccinum, for the genus of waved whelk actually means trumpet. The waved whelk was given this scientific name for the shape of its shell. The shell of the waved whelk was once used by fishermen as "sea soap" to help them clean their hands. A whelk shell may still be used today by a hermit crab which is searching for a new home. The waved whelk is often referred to by its scientific name, Buccinum undatum or as a common whelk.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Tudiclidae
Genus: Buccinum
Species: Undatum
The waved whelk is typically found throughout the waters of the North Atlantic along the eastern coast of Canada, the southern coast of Greenland, the eastern coast of Iceland, and the coasts of the British Isles, northern Europe, and Scandinavia. Generally, the waved whelk inhabits muddy gravel or sandy-bottomed waters from depths of six to 500 feet (1 1/2 to 150 meters). Like most other snail-like creatures, the waved whelk spends the majority of its time gliding along the seabed searching for prey.
The size of the waved whelk depends largely on its placement in the sea. In shallow waters near to the shore, the waved whelk typically grows to be about 2 1/3 inches (six centimeters) long. In deeper waters the same creature may grow to be as much as four inches (10 centimeters) long. The waved whelk is shaped much like a snail with a soft gliding foot for mobility and a hard, protective, outer shell covering most of its softer body parts. The hard shell of the waved whelk varies in color from yellowish brown to chalky gray. It is a swirling shell with several whorls, or rounded spiral sections. The waved whelk's shell also has many lines. Like the lines inside a tree, which show a tree's age, the lines of a waved whelk also show this creature's age.
At the front end of the waved whelk's body are two tentacles for sensing its environment. Each of these tentacles has an eye at its base. Near the waved whelk's tentacles is its siphon. A siphon is an instrument which sucks like a straw. The waved whelk uses its siphon to draw water into its body. Beneath the waved whelk's tentacles is its mouth. The mouth of the waved whelk is equipped with a proboscis for sucking food. A proboscis is a long, sucking appendage which can be used for sensory reception or feeding. An elephant's trunk is a proboscis.
The waved whelk moves along the seabed by the use of its strong, broad, muscular foot. At the tail end of its foot is the waved whelk operculum. This is a hard disk which the waved whelk can seal over the opening of its shell for protection.
As a predator, the waved whelk actively searches for prey. The waved whelk is a carnivore, or meat-eating animal. Its diet includes bivalve mollusks, such as mussels and clams, as well as echinoderms, sea snails, dead fish, crabs, and injured fish. Unlike some whelks, which bore, or drill, holes into the shells of their prey, the waved whelk pries open the two shells of bivalve mollusks. It accomplishes this task by the use of its radula, or toothed tongue. The waved whelk is sometimes threatened by fishermen who use this creature for bait and for food. Natural predators of the waved whelk include fish, invertebrates, sea stars, and other marine snails.
After mating with a male waved whelk, the female lays over 1,000 eggs in a capsule. The capsules are laid in a mass of spongy casing. Of these 1,000 eggs, only 10 may make it to maturity. Many of the eggs do not develop to maturity because they are absorbed by the other eggs. When the eggs finally hatch, small, developed waved whelks break free of their shells. During their developmental stages, the bodies of waved whelks twist in a process known as torsion. This prepares their bodies for carrying shells.
The life span of the waved whelk is up to 40 years. They are not a threatened species.
Bibliography
Carter, Zech. “ADW: Buccinum Undatum: Information.” Animal Diversity Web, 2000, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Buccinum‗undatum. Accessed 7 May 2024.
“Whelks - Department of Marine Resources.” Maine.gov, 2022, www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/commercial/fisheries-by-species/whelks. Accessed 7 May 2024.