Sinistrofulgur perversum

The lightning whelk, scientific name Sinistrofulgur perversum, is an edible species of very large predatory sea snail or whelk, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Busyconidae, the busycon whelks. This species has a left-handed or sinistral shell. It eats mostly bivalves.

There was some confusion about the correct scientific name for this species, which has been confused with Busycon sinistrum Hollister, 1958, and Busycon contrarium (Conrad, 1840), which is an exclusively fossile species.

Distribution

This marine species is native to southeastern North America, south to Florida and the Gulf states.

Habitat

Lightning whelks can be found in the sandy or muddy substrate of shallow embayments.

Life habits

This whelk species feed primarily on marine bivalves, ingesting their soft parts using its proboscis.

Sinistrofulgur perversum and Busycon carica

This species shares many characteristics with another species, the knobbed whelk Busycon carica, but there are some important differences: