Whelk

Whelks—sometimes spelled welks or wilks—are a group of meat-eating sea snails that have a spiraled, tapering shell. People eat many kinds, including the common whelk found in the North Atlantic. Most true whelks belong to the family Buccinidae, but other snails called whelks, like the dog whelk, come from several different, unrelated families. True whelks hunt annelids, crustaceans, mussels, and other mollusks by drilling holes through their shells to reach the soft flesh, using chemical sensors to find their prey.

Humans and other animals have long used whelks as food. A 100-gram serving provides 570 kilojoules (137 kilocalories), 24 grams of protein, 0.34 grams of fat, and 8 grams of carbohydrates. In ancient times, the dog whelk was used to produce a rich red dye that improves with age.

The common name varies by region. In Japan, *tsubu* or *tsubu-gai* refers to medium or large true whelks in the genera *Buccinum* and *Neptunea*, which are braised, grilled, or used in sushi—though they were not traditionally a sushi ingredient. One caution: *Neptunea* species have a gland containing the toxin tetramine. In Korea, *golbaengi* refers to the moon snail *Neverita didyma*, often eaten as a snack in a spicy cold noodle salad called *golbaengi-muchim*, a classic side dish with alcohol. In Australia and New Zealand, *Cabestana* species are called predatory whelks, and *Penion* species are called siphon whelks. In Brazil, older women of African ancestry practice *jogo de búzios*, a divination game using empty whelk shells. In the British Isles, Belgium, and the Netherlands, "whelk" (or *wulk*/*wullok*) mainly refers to *Buccinum undatum*, an edible North Atlantic species. In Britain, "dog whelk" is used for *Nucella lapillus* and *Nassarius* species; these were once popular street food in Victorian London, sold near pubs and theaters. In Scotland, "whelk" can also mean the periwinkle (*Littorina littorea*). In the United States, whelk refers to large edible species in the genera *Busycon* and *Busycotypus* (family Buccinidae), sometimes called Busycon whelks. The invasive *Rapana venosa* is called the veined rapa whelk or Asian rapa whelk, even though it belongs to the murex family. In the English-speaking West Indies, "whelks" or "wilks" (both singular and plural) refers to the large edible top shell *Cittarium pica*, also known as the magpie or West Indian top shell.

Common examples include the channeled whelk, common whelk, knobbed whelk (state shell of Georgia and New Jersey), lightning whelk, red whelk, speckled whelk, wrinkled whelk (also called inflated whelk or lyre whelk, for *Neptunea lyrata*), and wrinkled purple whelk. Related terms include conch and scungilli.