Whelk

Description:

This species is a familiar part of the marine fauna of the Northern Atlantic and is found on the shores of the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Iceland, some Arctic islands, and North America as far south as New Jersey. This species has a solid shell which is very pale. In life the shell is covered in a yellowish-brown periostracum. The shell surface has a sculpture of vertical wavy folds (hence the name undatum, which means wavy). The wavy folds are crossed by numerous incised spiral lines, some of which are paired. The aperture of the shell is broadly oval and tapers to a siphonal canal. The number of shell whorls is seven or eight. The maximum height of the shell is 10 cm and the maximum width is 6 cm.

Habitat:

This species is mainly found on soft substrates in the sublittoral zone, and occasionally on the littoral fringe, where it is sometimes found alive at low tide.

Notes:

Edible but very chewy!