Lightning Whelk, the State Shell Of Texas. In 1987, the 70th Texas Legislature designated the lightning whelk, Busycon perversum pulleyi (Hollister, 1958), as the official state shell of Texas, joining several other flora and fauna that symbolize the rich diversity of Texas natural resources. It has a limited range from Breton Sound, Louisiana to the northern coast of Mexico, and is a …

Lightning whelks are unusual in that they have a counterclockwise shell spiral (lightning whelks are usually called "left handed"). Life History They consume bivalves (invertebrates with two shells), especially oysters, clams, and scallops, as the mainstay of their diet. Among the lightning whelk's predators are gulls, crabs, and other whelks.

2010年6月18日 · This lightning whelk, still alive in its unusually large shell, was carefully returned to the water. Note the muscular foot, which is used to pry open clam shells. ... Lightning whelks grow to a length of 10-15 inches and are sometimes mistaken for conchs. They live in shallow water and prefer embayments having sandy or muddy bottoms. Prime ...

2016年9月7日 · The whelk grows slowly and can live for many years, with some individuals growing to over a foot long. One of the biggest lightning-whelk shells in the world can be seen on Sanibel Island at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. The lightning whelk. Photo courtesy Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum

Lightning whelks may be found on the bottom of shallow bays in sand or mud near shoalgrass or turtlegrass meadows. BEHAVIOR The carnivorous habits of the whelks begin as hatchlings.The whelks that hatch feed on the eggs that did not hatch.When feeding, an adult whelk will try to pry open a bivalve by insert-

2016年6月19日 · If there is a “door” closing the shell (the operculum) like this Lightning Whelk, then it is alive! You can tell this Apple Murex shell is alive because the operculum (the tiny “door”) is tightly blocking the opening. For more great eco-friendly shell collecting ideas, ...

Sinistrofulgur perversum, the lightning whelk, is a 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 has been some disagreement about the correct scientific name for this species, which …

2024年1月10日 · Kice Island, a canvas of natural beauty, comes alive with Lightning Whelks during the winter months. The lower tides offer a front-row seat to the intricate patterns etched on their sturdy shells. Here, on the pristine shores of Kice Island, every whorl tells a story of survival and adaptation, a testament to the marvels of evolution against ...

2020年12月18日 · Sinistrofulgur perversum, the lightning whelk, is a 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 has been some disagreement about the correct scientific name for this species, which has been confused with Sinistrofulgur sinistrum ...

The lightning whelk can be found along the North American coastline from New Jersey to Texas in creeks, oyster bars and estuaries. Details: Lightning whelks are large, long and slender. They have brown and white spiraling stripes on their shells. Unlike most other gastropod’s shells, these stripes spiral left instead of right.