Many of you have run across Knobbed Whelk egg cases while strolling the beach. Maybe you didn't know what they were, or maybe you did. But, rarely have you found them with the baby conchs still enclosed. Lucky for me, I found a bunch of them last weekend on Bald Head Island. Here are a handful of photos that spell out better than I can type, the egg casing and how whelk's multiply.
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| Knobbed Whelk Egg Case |
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| One layer - if you look closely you can see the baby whelks inside. |
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| Now you can really see them :). |
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| I took what I could so I can take them out and decorate. |
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| Baby baby whelks and baby whelks a little more grown up. |
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| Amazing! |
What a fun find - the work it takes to get them all out is doing me in. But, it will be worth it when I have a jar full. More than this!
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| Baby Whelks |
Happy Shelling this weekend!
Cheers!
Margaret
Margaret
Wow! In the 3rd pic, is that what you find inside EACH of those little segments? If so, that's amazing. Do you have a picture of how many you ended up with?
ReplyDeleteI have crown conchs in my aquarium, and they are laying eggs on the walls. How long does it take for the eggs to mature and the baby conchs to come out? I have 8 batches on the walls.
ReplyDeleteI found one yesterday and didn't know what it was. Thanks for the informative post.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't you be throwing the egg cases w babies back into the ocean to give them a chance to survive?
ReplyDeleteAgreed
DeleteI agree with oliveseeker. Those look like lightening whelks, not Knobbed Whelks.
ReplyDeleteLightning Whelk. Sorry for the misspelling
DeletePeople seem concerned these snails were alive. I don't think anyone who loves the ocean and the treasures it offers would bring live marine snails home. Generally, most of the stuff I find washed up on the beach is dead. If it is alive, I throw it back into the water because it makes me feel like I have saved a life somehow. I don't think the public need to worry so much about the actions of their fellow humans towards animals. Most of us are kind. As a species we are the only one to show some kind of interest in making sure the animals we do kill for meat are killed humanely. I doubt they were alive. The author shows too much love of the sea.
ReplyDelete