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Dog whelk
Nucella lapillus
Dog whelks are active predators. They have special drilling mouth parts used to bore through the shells of other molluscs. Digestive enzymes are injected through the hole and the resulting liquid food sucked up.
Life span
Dog whelks live for around 7 years.
Statistics
Their shell height is usually up to 3cm, but can reach 6cm. The width is about 2cm.
Distribution
Located on all British coasts, they are also found in Gibraltar, Iceland, Greenland.
Habitat
Dog whelks are found on exposed to sheltered rocky shores, from the middle shore to well below the low tide mark. They are common around barnacles and mussels, on which they feed.
Diet
They eat barnacles, mussels and limpets.
Behaviour
They bore through the shells of prey and inject enzymes that digest the prey within its shell. The resulting liquid 'soup' is then sucked out. It can take a day to bore through the shell and a day to consume the liquid.
Reproduction
Egg capsules are laid in clusters on the rock in early spring.
Conservation status
Dog whelks are listed on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for 'species of conservation concern'. In the 1970s and 1980s they were affected by the use of anti-fouling paint, used on the hulls of ships to prevent the colonization of animals and plants. This paint, tributyl-tin (TBT), caused female dog whelks to become male, leading to a reproductive decline in many populations, particularly those living around ports. The use of these paints is now controlled.
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