The
common name "whelk" is also spelled
welk or even
wilk. The species, genera and families referred to by this common name vary a great deal from one geographic area to another.
Asia In Japan,
Scotland In
Scotland, the word "whelk" is also used to mean the
periwinkle (
Littorina littorea), family
Littorinidae.
United States In the
United States,
whelk refers to several large edible species in the genera
Busycon and
Busycotypus, which are now classified in the family
Buccinidae. These are sometimes called
Busycon whelks. In addition, the unrelated
invasive species
Rapana venosa is referred to as the
Veined rapa whelk or
Asian rapa whelk; it's a
murex in the family
Muricidae.
West Indies In the English-speaking islands of the
West Indies, the word
whelks or
wilks (this word is both singular and plural) is applied to a large edible
top shell,
Cittarium pica, also known as the
magpie or
West Indian top shell, family
Trochidae. ==Some common examples==