APHOTOMARINE
An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.
Nucella lapillus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Common dog whelk or Purple (Marine snails)
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Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- shell on rock 1
Nucella lapillus
- shell on rock 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- shell on rock 2
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- shell side view 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- shell underside / mouth 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- live animal 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- live animal / yellow 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- live animal / white 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- live animal / white 2
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- live animal / banded 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- live animal / juvenile 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- banded shell 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- collection of live animals 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- collection of live animals 2
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- shell / yellow banded 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- shell / juvenile 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- shells / juvenile from egg 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- eggs close-up 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- eggs close-up 2
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- egg laying 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- live animal mouth 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- with scale / rule 1
Common dog whelk or Purple
Nucella lapillus
- with scale / rule 2
An extremely common carnivorous animal which feeds on other molluscs by boring a small hole through their shell. White, yellow and grey coloured forms are common, but this species comes in a wide range of bright and banded colours. Found living in crevices and on rocks on the north and south coasts of the Westcountry. Harlyn Bay and Polzeath are particularly good beaches to search and where many of the images featured on this page were taken.
Juvenile shell here was found at Gwithian Beach, Gwithian, near Hayle, Cornwall, 01.07.12; in shellsand. Dissection of Common Dog Whelk eggs from the shore at Penzance, proved the identity of the shell.
European and Scientific Names: Nucella lapillus, Common dog whelk, Purple, Purpurschnecke, Purperslak, Pourpre, Caracol purpura.
The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help
people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.