whelk

whelk

whelk large marine gastropod snail found in temperate waters. The whelk is sometimes eaten, but when food is plentiful, fishermen frequently use it for bait. Whelks are scavengers and carnivores, equipped with an extensible proboscis, tipped with a filelike radula, with which they bore holes through the shells of crabs and lobsters, and a large, muscular foot with which they hold their victims. The thick-lipped, spiral shell has an uneven surface with many protuberances. The knobbed whelk, the largest species, ranging up to 16 in. (40.6 cm), and the channeled whelk, slightly smaller, are both found south of Cape Cod, Mass. In summer the strings of pale, disk-shaped egg cases are common along the shore. The whelk is sometimes mistakenly called conch . Whelks are classified in the phylum Mollusca , class Gastropoda, order Neogastropoda.

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"whelk." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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whelk

whelk1 / (h)welk/ • n. a predatory marine mollusk (family Buccinidae) with a heavy, pointed spiral shell, some kinds of which are edible. whelk2 • n. archaic a pimple.

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"whelk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"whelk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-whelk.html

"whelk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-whelk.html

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whelk

whelk Edible, marine gastropod distributed worldwide on seashores. It has a coiled shell, with a smooth rim and a notch at the end. Family Buccinidae. Length: 13–18cm (5–7in).

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"whelk." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"whelk." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-whelk.html

"whelk." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-whelk.html

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whelk

whelk mollusc of the genus Buccinum. OE. weoloc, wioloc, of unkn. orig.

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T. F. HOAD. "whelk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "whelk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-whelk.html

T. F. HOAD. "whelk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-whelk.html

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whelk

whelkcalque, talc •catafalque •elk, whelk •bilk, ilk, milk, silk •Liebfraumilch • buttermilk • volk •bulk, hulk, skulk, sulk

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"whelk." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"whelk." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-whelk.html

"whelk." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-whelk.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

The whelk dredge fishery of Delaware.
Magazine article from: Journal of Shellfish Research; 4/1/2006
Veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) range extensions in the Virginia waters of...
Magazine article from: Journal of Shellfish Research; 8/1/2005
Tracking behavior of Busyconinae whelks.
Magazine article from: The Biological Bulletin; 10/1/2002

Facts and information from other sites

whelk images
whelk. (Image by DanielCD ,GFDL)