THE LIGHTNING WHELK:
The Contrary Shell
Story by Mary Beth Litrico - Artwork by Walter Hunt
Most spiraling shells open to the right with the rare specimen opening to
the left. Not the Lightning Whelk. Its Latin name, Busycon contrarium, indicates its
contrary nature. This whelk's range includes southeast Mexico and the southeastern
Atlantic coast of the United States. As spring comes to Amelia Island, beachcombers may
find the beginnings of these interesting shells, strands of egg capsules. These shells
have inhabited our waters for 60 million years and have been significant to cultures
throughout that history.
Whelks are mollusks. The Latin "mollis" means soft. The shells aren't soft, but
the animal that lives inside is. Not all mollusks have shells. Think of the octopus, squid
and even the slug. Conversely, all animals with shells are not mollusks, such as crabs,
barnacles and shrimp. All mollusks have soft bodies.
The Lightning Whelk is also called the Left-handed Whelk and has been scientifically named
Busycon sinistrum. Sinistrum is Latin for left. It grows to about one foot in length
though 15 inches has been recorded. The fawn colored shell is thick and strong yet
gracefully shaped with lightning-like streaks of violet-brown. After the shell reaches
eight to nine inches, the colors fade to an overall grayish white. Females are generally
larger than males, so the record setters are probably of the former gender. They are
fairly common, except for right-handed specimens.
Illustration by Walter W. Hunt © 1999.
Waterwheel Art Studio, 316A Centre Street
_______________________________
Lightning Whelks live in sandy shallows from below the tide mark to deeper
waters. These predatory carnivores bury themselves just under the surface of the sand
where tender mollusks they like to eat are easy to find. Clams, scallops and oysters are
favorites. The whelk attacks its prey in two ways. Either it grabs the bivalve with its
big foot and pounds it apart on its own strong shell, or it inserts the outer lip of its
own shell between the valves to force them apart.
Beginning in spring, strands of whelk egg capsules wash ashore. These capsules are formed
in the pore of the foot of the female whelk. She buries herself in the sand for this
production. One end of the strand is attached to rocks, old shells or algae. Expect 50 to
175 capsules on a strand and 20 to 100 eggs in a capsule. The last few capsules on the
unattached end are usually void of eggs. Most eggs will never hatch, but will serve as
food for the single individual that does. Whelks emerge as tiny images of the adults.
Whelks make tasty meals themselves. Crabs will use pincers to crush and break open the
heavy shell while sea gulls simply drop it onto a hard surface. Humans consume the whelk
animal, too. Records of Canterbury Cathedral in 1504 mention eight thousand whelks,
(probably not Lightning Whelks) purchased for five shillings per thousand, to be served
with sturgeon at an inaugural feast for the new Archbishop. Today in seaside resort towns
of England, whelks are boiled and sold by street vendors as a delicacy. It would be pricey
delicacy here. A Florida book on sea shells notes a value of ten dollars for an unprepared
live Lightning Whelk.
Other parts of the shell are utilized by cultures in and beyond the whelks' range.
Left-handed shells are considered sacred in parts of Asia. In India, the left-handed chank
shell is religiously significant.
It is very rare to find a left-handed chank, so clever sailors visiting the Western
hemisphere collected the common left-handed Lightning Whelk to sell for a tidy profit in
the East. This commerce continues today.
Even the egg cases were utilized. Long ago, it is said, sailors used sandy clumps of
strands to scrub themselves. A substitute for the loofah?
Whelks were used as food, housewares and weapons by Florida Indians. Remains have been
discovered in burial grounds. The natural shape of the shell lends itself to these uses.
For instance, large whelks of all kinds have been used worldwide as lamps. The whelk is
usually suspended
opening upward to hold the oil. The wick is laid along the canal.
Strong summer storms often wash large shells ashore. It's always a lovely surprise to find
a small beauty with its violet-brown coloring intact. If you should find a live whelk,
please put it back in the water where it belongs. Should you be lucky enough to find a
right-handed Lightning Whelk, it might just be your day to play the lottery!