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Whelks are any of several carnivorous sea snail species[1] with a swirling, tapered shell. Many are eaten by humans, such as thecommon whelk of the North Atlantic. Most whelks belong to the familyBuccinidae and are known as "true whelks." Others, such as thedog whelk, belong to several sea snail families that are not closely related.
True whelks (familyBuccinidae) are carnivorous, and feed on annelids, crustaceans, mussels and other molluscs, drilling holes through shells to gain access to the soft tissues. Whelks usechemoreceptors to locate their prey.[2]
Many have historically been used, or are still used, by humans and other animals as food. In a 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving of whelk, there are 570 kilojoules (137 kilocalories) offood energy, 24 g of protein, 0.34 g of fat, and 8 g of carbohydrates.[3]
Dog whelk, a predatory species, was used in antiquity to make a rich red dye that improves in color as it ages.[4]
Thecommon name "whelk" is also spelledwelk or evenwilk.
The species, genera and families referred to by this common name vary a great deal from one geographic area to another.
In Japan, whelks (ツブ, 螺,tsubu) are frequently used insashimi andsushi. In Vietnam, they are served in a dish calledBún ốc - vermicelli with sea snails.Golbaengi-muchim (골뱅이 무침) is a Korean dish consisting of whelks and with chili sauce in a salad with cold noodles. It has been a very popular side dish with alcohol for many generations.
InAustralia andNew Zealand, species of the genusCabestana (familyRanellidae) are calledpredatory whelks, and species ofPenion (familyBuccinidae) are calledsiphon whelks.
InBrazil, there is a very popularAfro-Brazilian divination game practiced by older women of African ancestry calledjogo de búzios (game of whelks), which uses empty shells of thesegastropods.
In theBritish Isles,Belgium and theNetherlands (wulk/wullok), the word is used for a number of species in the familyBuccinidae, especiallyBuccinum undatum, an edibleEuropean andNorthern Atlantic species.
In the British Isles, the common name "dog whelk" is used forNucella lapillus (family Muricidae) and forNassarius species (familyNassariidae). Historically, they were a popular street food in Victorian London, typically located close to public houses and theatres.[5]
InScotland, the word "whelk" is also used to mean theperiwinkle (Littorina littorea), familyLittorinidae.[6]
In theUnited States,whelk refers to several large edible species in the generaBusycon andBusycotypus, which are now classified in the familyBuccinidae. These are sometimes calledBusycon whelks.
In addition, the unrelatedinvasivemurexRapana venosa is referred to as theVeined rapa whelk orAsian rapa whelk in the familyMuricidae.
In the English-speaking islands of theWest Indies, the wordwhelks orwilks (this word is both singular and plural) is applied to a large edibletop shell,Cittarium pica, also known as themagpie orWest Indian top shell, familyTrochidae.
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| Marinegastropods |  | |
| Land and freshwater gastropods | ||
| Free-swimming marinebivalves | ||
| Infaunal bivalves | ||
| Sessile bivalves | ||
| Freshwater bivalves | ||
| Cephalopods | ||
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