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.

A-P-H-O-T-O Wildlife Stock Image Library
Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846) - Veined or Asian rapa whelk - a non-native species (Marine snails)
Scroll down and rollover titles to change screen image or click on title to view image.
Veined or Asian rapa whelk
Rapana venosa
- underside / mouth 1

Veined or Asian rapa whelk
Rapana venosa
- underside / mouth 2

Veined or Asian rapa whelk
Rapana venosa
- underside / mouth 3

Veined or Asian rapa whelk
Rapana venosa
- underside / mouth 4

Veined or Asian rapa whelk
Rapana venosa
- side view shell 1

All the specimens above are juvenile.

Veined or Asian rapa whelk
Rapana venosa
- adult underside / mouth 1

Veined or Asian rapa whelk
Rapana venosa
- adult lateral view shell 1

Veined or Asian rapa whelk
Rapana venosa
- adult lateral view shell 2

This is a large species of a non-native invasive mollusc which was found south of the Dogger Bank in the UK in 1992; the species was also found in the Bay of Quiberon, Brittany, France, in 1998. The species originally comes from Asia but since the 1940s when the species was imported into the Black Sea it has become a serious threat and has spread across many continents, usually by accidental human transfer.

For more information see the Invasive Species Compendium

 


Rapana venosa Veined or Asian rapa whelk non native invasive species marine snail images
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.