- Channeled whelk
-
Channeled whelk 
A shell of a channeled whelk Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda (unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade NeogastropodaSuperfamily: Buccinoidea Family: Buccinidae Subfamily: Busyconinae Tribe: Busycotypini Genus: Busycotypus Species: B. canaliculatus Binomial name Busycotypus canaliculatus
Linnaeus, 1758The channeled whelk, Busycotypus canaliculatus, previously known as Busycon canaliculatum, is a very large predatory sea snail, a marine prosobranch gastropod, a busycon whelk, belonging to the family Buccinidae. This species is edible.
Contents
Distribution
This species is endemic to the eastern coast of the United States, from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to northern Florida. It has also been introduced into San Francisco Bay.
Shell description
Live channeled whelks for sale in a California seafood market
Shells of the channeled whelk typically reach 5 to 8 inches in length. The shell is smooth and generally pear-shaped, with a large body whorl and a straight siphonal canal. Between the whorls there is a wide, deep channel at the suture, and there are often weak knobs at the shoulders of the whorls. Finely sculpted lines begin at the siphonal canal and revolve around the shell surface.
The color of the shell is typically a buff gray to light tan. The shell aperture is located on the right side, i.e. the shell of this species is almost always dextral in coiling. Left-handed or sinistral specimens occur rarely.
Channeled whelks prefer sandy, shallow, intertidal or subtidal areas, and can be common in these habitats. They tend to be nocturnal and are known to eat clams.
References
External links
Edible mollusks Bivalves Atlantic jackknife • Atlantic surf • Geoduck • Grooved carpet shell • Hard clam • Horse • Mactra stultorum • Blunt gaper • Ocean quahog • Pacific razor • Pecten jacobaeus • Venus • California butterclam • Senilia senilis • Smooth clam • Soft-shell • Triangle shell • Tuatua • Japanese littleneck • Razor clam • Pod razor • Ensis (razor genus) • PaphiesBlue • Mediterranean • New Zealand green-lipped • California • Brown • Asian/Philippine green • Date • Mytilidae (mussel family)Auckland • Eastern • Olympia • Southern mud • Colchester native • Pacific • Portuguese • Windowpane • Rock • Sydney rock • Ostra chilena/Bluff • Gillardeau oysters • Crassostrea ("true oyster" genus)Gastropods Queen • DogBlack foot opihi/Haiwaiian • China • Common European • Rayed Mediterranean • Ribbed Mediterranean • Rustic • Turtle/Talc • Yellow foot opihi
LandFreshwaterNeritesInkfish Spineless • BottletailChitons Chiton magnificus • Acanthopleura granulataRelated topics: Oyster farming • Land snail farming • Categories:- Buccinidae
- Edible molluscs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
