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Lighting Whelk
Busycon contrarium
The lightning whelk is one of the most popular shells among collectors in Southwest Florida. That status is a function of its size, shape, and striking pattern. It is believed to be the second largest in size among Florida shells, getting as large as twenty inches. Many very large specimens have been collected on our beaches after violent storms. The shape of the shell is attractive to collectors and unique. The lightning whelk is the only left handed Florida shallow water marine shell. That is the reason for this shell's scientific name contrarium.
This shell's common name comes from the third reason for its popularity, the striking color pattern. Dark, well-defined lines extend down from the nobs of the shoulder, resembling flashes of lightning. In combination with the light horizontal band, these "lightning lines" make the shell truly stunning. Typically, there are at least ten such lines on a shell and, although the number varies greatly, it is rare to find one with less than five lines.
This difference is pictured in above. Normally, dead lightning whelks can be found with relative ease along the Lee County beaches. While they are found in all sizes, they usually look the same. When found alive, however, the color and pattern variations can be spectacular. Live specimens are more often found on the muddy bay side of the island. However, with a little knowledge and perseverance they can be collected from the beaches. The live shells can be found in tidal pools at low tide, or buried in wet sand between the tidal pools and the surf line.
Color and pattern variations among lightning whelks are most vivid in the shells that are between three and a half and five inches in size. Smaller juvenile shells tend to look more alike, and the color and pattern of the shell seems to fade rapidly as it grows over six inches. The "lightning lines" are the first to go, becoming white, and then blending into background color which fades from tan to gray to white. Shells found which exceed ten inches in length are usually totally white on the dorsal side.
All of the shells pictured here to show the major variations are between four and four and a half inches long.
The shell featured above is the typical form, exhibiting the color and pattern found in approximately 60 percent of the live shells seen in our area. It is immediately obvious why the shell is so attractive to collectors.
Below are a number of examples found locally.
Once dead, the shell of the lightning whelk fades faster than most other species. While the lightning lines are usually present on dead specimens, the background color seems to disappear. This may be explained by the shells tendency, while alive, to fade to white as the shell grows.
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Seashells
