Species profile
Lightning Whelk
Sinistrofulgur sinistrum
At a glance
Lightning Whelk (Sinistrofulgur sinistrum) is a marine snail with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 3,811 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Its shell coils to the left — the opposite direction of nearly all other snails.
- Can grow up to 16 inches long, one of the largest gastropods on the U.S. East Coast.
- The lightning whelk is the official state shell of Texas.
- Feeds on hard-shelled bivalves like clams and oysters by prying them open with its shell.
- Native Americans used whelk shells as tools, cups, and ceremonial objects for thousands of years.
Where Lightning Whelk are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Lightning Whelk
Background
Sinistrofulgur sinistrum is an edible species of large predatory sea snail or whelk, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Busyconidae, the busycon whelks.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Lightning Whelk article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other marine snails (whelk/conch) on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.