Buccinum undatum

Buccinum undatum, the common whelk, is a large, edible marine gastropod in the family Buccinidae, the "true whelks".

Distribution

This species is a familiar part of the marine fauna of the Northern Atlantic and is found on the shores of the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Iceland, various other northwest European countries, some Arctic islands, and North America as far south as New Jersey. They prefer colder temperatures, and cannot survive at temperatures above 29°C.

Habitat

This species is mainly found on soft bottoms in the sublittoral zone, and occasionally on the littoral fringe, where it is sometimes found alive at low tide. It does not adapt well to life in the intertidal zone, due to its intolerance for low salinities. If exposed to air, it may crawl from its shell, risking desiccation.

Shell

This species' solid shell is very pale. In life, the shell is covered in a yellowish-brown periostracum. The shell surface has a sculpture of vertical, wavy folds (hence the name undatum, which means wavy). The wavy folds are crossed by numerous incised spiral lines, some of which are paired. The aperture of the shell is broadly oval and tapers to a siphonal canal. The number of shell whorls is seven or eight.