Knobbed Whelk
Busycon carica
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A right-handed whelk with a ring of blunt knobs on the shoulder, most common on Florida's Atlantic side.
- Typical size
- 4–9 in
- How often it turns up
- Common on the Atlantic coast
- Collecting
- Restricted
- Handling
- Handle with care
Florida allows no live shelling in many counties and parks. If the animal is still inside, photograph it and put it back where you found it.
How to tell it apart
- Opening on the right when the spire points up
- Blunt knobs around the shoulder
- Orange-tinted aperture in fresh shells
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for shells. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Anclote Key Preserve State Park · Tarpon Springs
- Bean Point · Anna Maria
- Beer Can Island (Greer Island) · Longboat Key
- Boca Grande Public Beach · Boca Grande
- Bowman's Beach · Sanibel
- Captiva Beach · Captiva
- Cayo Costa State Park · Cayo Costa
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park · Naples
- Don Pedro Island State Park · Cape Haze
- Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park · St. George Island
- Gasparilla Island State Park · Boca Grande
- Gulfside City Park (Algiers Beach) · Sanibel
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut ranks the likely matches with a confidence read, then logs it to your collection with the beach and date.
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More shells in the field guide
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