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.
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The Pear Whelk, Fulguropsis spirata, and its egg capsules, from Sanibel. Photos by José H. Leal.