SIZE : Sa coquille peut atteindre jusqu’à 15 cm.
LIFE EXPECTANCY : De 10 à 15 ans.
LIFE CYCLE : L’accouplement a lieu entre mai et juin. Deux ou trois semaines plus tard, les femelles se réunissent pour pondre ensemble au même endroit. Les œufs forment une masse spongieuse, jaunâtre et adhésive appelée savonnette. De cinq à huit mois plus tard, les buccins juvéniles naissent avec une taille de 2 mm à 3 mm.
Bed and breakfast
Empty whelk shells are becoming a favourite home for hermit crabs.
The waved whelk’s body is white with black spots. Its shell is light-colored with a thin yellow coating. Its shape and color can vary. It has 5 to 8 spirals ending in a point. The opening of its shell is closed by a hard opercule found at the end of the whelk’s foot.�
Coastal zone, up to 30 m in depth.
The waved whelk favours cold waters and sandy or rocky bottoms.
Credit : Richard Larocque, photo taken in Pointe-au-Père.
PREYS :
Softshell clams
Bivalve shellfishes
Organic matters
PREDATORS :
Sea stars
Crabs
Lobsters
Fishes
MACHINES : Traps
REGULATIONS :
- Fishing effort management (number of traps, minimum whelk shell size of 63 mm).
- Total allowable catch in certain fishing zones.
- Fishing seasons.
As the waved whelk is not a fast-moving animal, it is more vulnerable to local over-fishing. It has been fished in the St. Lawrence River since 1940.
BENEFITS :
Rich in magnesium, iron, calcium, and in B and C proteins.
LET’S COOK :
Sold cooked, frozen, or preserved in brine or vinegar. Texture and flavour depend on how it has been prepared.
In brine, it will have a finer iodized flavour.
In vinegar, whelk will have a slightly tougher texture.
Freezing tenderizes the product, giving it a softer texture.
OUR CULINARY ADVICE :
- The waved whelk is like a giant snail. Instead of eating garlic escargots, why not try the local version with whelk?
- Great as an appetizer, snack, or in a chowder.
