Common whelk
Common whelk
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Common whelk Illustration: Jón Baldur Hlíðberg
Common whelk with eggs among other marine fauna Photo: Erlendur Bogason |
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Whelk fishing grounds in 2008 (t/nm2), dark areas indicate highest catches. Source: The Marine Research Institute
Whelk catch (t) in Icelandic waters Source: Statistics Iceland
Whelk catch (t) by month Source: Statistics Iceland, weight reports
Value of exported whelk products by main countries in 2008 (FOB, million ISK) Source: Statistics Iceland |
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Scientific: Buccinum undatum. English: Whelk, common whelk. Icelandic: Beitukóngur. For more languages see the Marine Animal Dictionary.
Biology and distribution
The common whelk is a large-sized snail that can reach up to 15 cm height. It is found all around Iceland over a wide depth range, from the seashore down to several hundred m depth. It is also in European waters from the White Sea and Spitsbergen in the north to the Bay of Biscay in the south. It occurs around the Faroe Islands, in southern Greenlandic waters and from Labrador to Cape Cod in North America.
The feeding habits are diverse. It is an efficient predator on other sessile or slow moving benthic invertebrates. It is also a scavenger on dead animals.
Several related species also occur in Icelandic waters. The most common is probably the neptune whelk (Neptunea despecta). This species has a toxic gland that has to be removed before eating.
Catch and fishing methods
The common whelk is the only snail species harvested in Icelandic waters. The fisheries are only conducted in Breiðafjörður bay in western Iceland, using special pots (traps).
Stock status (from the Marine Research institute)
Pot fishing for whelk (Buccinum undatum) started in Breiðafjörður in 1996. In 2010, the total catch amounted to 142 t, compared to 116 t in 2009. Due to uncertainty about the stock size, a cautionary exploitation approach is recommended.
References and further information
References: (Gunnarsson et al., 1998).
For full citation and further information on the main species in general see this page
Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson, University of Akureyri
