Pear Whelk
Fulguropsis spirata (Lamarck, 1816)
The Pear whelk (opens on the right side) is not as common as the Lightning whelk (opens on the left side).
Two different colored Pear whelks (S. Hutchinson Ilsland- December, 2020)
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The Pear Whelk
José H. Leal Jun 8, 2018
For the last two weeks this column covered the renowned Lightning Whelk, Sinistrofulgur sinistrum. Today I want to introduce its smaller, right-handed cousin, the Pear Whelk, Fulguropsis spirata (Lamarck, 1816). Pear Whelks can reach 15 cm (about 6 inches). The shell is thin, with a long anterior canal and short, flattened spire. The color shows variations around the theme of a cream background with axial (“longitudinal”) brown streaks. The egg cases in this species resemble those of the Lightning Whelk, but are smaller, thinner, and bear “spikes” around the edges.