Have to respectfully disagree "The whelks have long, thin siphonal canals, a broad aperture, and are topped with a very short spire." Shell morphology is how whelks are identified colours/patterns on the body are not an accurate way of identification.Not a whelk. Two traits to identify a whelk is a little flap at its’ rare and mainly, it’s snout has a pattern in it as if it has been tattooed. This snail more resembles a nassarius.