Kellet’s Whelk Shell, Kelletia kelleti
Kellet’s Whelk Shell, Kelletia kelletii. Shell courtesy of the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, May 2010. Size: 8.5 cm (3.3 inches) x 4.8 cm (1.9 inches).
Phylogeny: The Kellet’s Whelk, Kelletia kelletii (Forbes, 1850) is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Austrosiphonidae Family of True Welks. The genus Kelletia is one of four genera in this family, and there are two species in this genus. In Mexico this species is known as Buccino de Kellet.
Description: Kellet’s Whelk shells are large, heavy shells, composed of five to seven whorls. Their shells are sculpted with fine spiral lines and eight to ten strong, wide, ribs that run the length of the shell. The ribs have rounded knobs where they cross the whorls. They have a high spire and a moderately long, open, wide siphon canal. The aperture is wide at the top and narrows toward the bottom. Mature shells have a gray to white exterior and juveniles are yellowish to tan, with sharper sculpting. Kellet’s Whelks reach a maximum of 17.1 cm (6.7 inches) in length and 9.6 cm (2.8 inches) in height.
Habitat and Distribution: Kellet’s Whelks are found on sand, cobbles, shale, rock reefs, and are often associated with kelp forests. They live at depths between 2 m (6 feet) and 70 m (230 feet). They are a temperate to subtropical Eastern Pacific species. They have a limited range in Mexican waters. They are found along the west coast of the Baja Peninsula, from the northern border to Asuncion Bay, Baja California Sur.
Ecology and Behavior: Kellet’s Whelks are predator/ scavenger/ detritivores that feed primarily on dead or injured animals, detritus, and living organisms such as tube worms, annelids, and other gastropods. They sometimes form large groups when feeding on dead fish or other carrion. They feed by utilizing a movable proboscis that is twice as long as their shell which allows them to find, capture, and drill into prey that is otherwise out of reach. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. They form mating aggregations which can range from 15 to 300 individuals. The eggs are laid in white, oval-shaped, protective capsules, attached to hard substrates. Kellet’s Whelks are known to host endoparasitic tapeworms, flatworms, and nematodes. There is no mention in the available literature of them engaging in any types of commensal or symbiotic relationships, but their empty shells are used for housing by the Furry Hermit Crab, Paguristes ulreyi. Kellet’s Whelks are edible and are fished commercially and recreationally. Overfishing has negatively impacted populations in localized areas. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated.
Synonyms: Fusus kelletii and Siphonalia kelletti.