Fair Isle beachcombing finds – Species spotlight – January 2025

Tim Merrick @ Focal Plane Photo

Once a month we will be sharing a marine species reported via the Fair Isle Marine WhatsApp group. This group is a space for community members and visitors to the isle to share any interesting marine finds. These reports also contribute to marine species records for Fair Isle to help monitor changes in biodiversity.

This month we have the Common whelk – Buccinum undatum, known locally as ‘buckies’. Last week, Luca found this huge, ~12cm long common whelk at North Haven between the pier and the pontoon.

Common whelks are the largest sea snail from the gastropod class and are usually found subtidally along British coastlines and are less often found in the intertidal zone. They are carnivorous predators which use chemical sensors to detect food in the marine environment and feed on worms, crustaceans and other molluscs. Whelks have an extendable tube known as a siphon which can be used to force open the shells of prey such as cockles and mussels. Whelks are believed to have a long lifespan of 10 -12 years and a slow growth rate with shell growth decreasing as whelks get older.

In Scotland, there are commercial fisheries for whelks using baited pots which are becoming increasingly popular due to increased market availability in Asia. Locally, the whelk fisheries around Shetland are managed by the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO) with a local minimum landing size of 75mm. This prohibits whelks below this size from being caught or sold in order to protect juvenile stocks.

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