Common name : pear whelk, lightning whelk

Aspect : thick, solid wall, with a final whorl that makes up almost the entire height; elongated shape; size can reach nearly 300 mm; sculpture varies from smooth to nodular or bumpy; oval to elongated opening with a thickened outer lip; long, prominent siphonal canal extending forward; horny, oval operculum; colors are generally beige, gray, or white, often mottled with darker shades of blue, purple, or brown; some species, such as the lightning whelk (Sinistrofulgur perversum), have a rare “sinistral” spire (reverse coiling), while most are dextral (clockwise coiling).

Feeding : carnivorous predators and scavengers, specializing in bivalve mollusks such as clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops, which form the core of their diet.

Environment : distributed along the Atlantic coast of North America, from the Gulf of Mexico to as far north as Nova Scotia. They inhabit a range of coastal environments, including sandy or muddy bottoms in shallow subtidal waters up to about 50 feet deep, as well as intertidal zones exposed to wave action. They exhibit migratory behavior, moving between deeper offshore waters in winter and shallower inshore habitats in summer to follow temperature and prey availability.