Lightning Whelks the Only Left Sided Shell
We came across some Lightning Whelks while on a kayak trip to Cayo Costa. Thought they were just Conchs but after looking them up I discovered they are the only left sided or counterclockwise spirals among shellfish/snails called Lightning Whelks. Learn something new everyday! Lightning Whelk Egg case picture By biggertree/Karen Dorsett on Flickr.
Species Name:
Busycon contrarium Conrad, 1840
Common Name:
Lightning Whelk
Synonymy:
Busycon contrariumcontrarium Conrad, 1840
Species Description:
Busycon contrarium is a large gastropod in the family Melongidae. The shell of the lightening whelk is usually very recognizable because it spirals toward the left instead of the right like other gastropod shells. Juvenile shells have lightning bolt shaped stripes on the shell hence the common name lightning whelk. The interior of juvenile shells can be white, yellow or pale blue. Adults, on the other hand, are gray with a few vertical violet-brown streaks (Magalhaes 1948). The aperature of the adult shells can vary from white, pale yellow to orange or bright red.
II. HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION
Regional Occurrence:
Busycon contrarium occurs along the North American coastline from New Jersey to Texas. They are commonly encountered in estuaries, creeks and around oyster bars.
IRL Distribution:
The lightening whelk has been reported from the Indian River Lagoon (Boudreaux et al. 2006).
III. LIFE HISTORY AND POPULATION BIOLOGY
Age, Size, Lifespan:
Busycon contrarium grow up to 41 cm in length (Magalhaes 1948).
Abundance:
The lightning whelk is less common than other members in the genus Busycon. In Beaufort, North Carolina, only one individual of B. contrarium was collected for every 33 individuals of its congener B. carica(Magalhaes 1948). Similar numbers are reported from other regions of the Atlantic coast of the United States.
Migration:
Busycon spp. migrate from deep to shallow waters in times of reproduction and low food supply (Magalhaes 1948).
Reproduction:
Busycon contrarium has separate sexes. Reproduction is internal and copulation occurs in late autumn to early winter. Females lay long strings of disc-shaped egg capsules that measure up to 86 cm in length and 3 cm wide in early spring (Kent 1983, Ruppert and Fox 1988). The string of eggs is anchored to the sand and the capsules break loose when the eggs hatch at the beginning of May.
Embryology:
Fertilized eggs of Busycon spp. develop slowly and hatch in approximately 3 to 13 months. They emerge as juveniles, measuring nearly 4 mm in length, that crawl along the bottom (Magalhaes1948).
IV. PHYSICAL TOLERANCES
Temperature:
Feeding rates and crawling speeds of Busycon contrarium decrease as seawater temperatures increase or decrease above or below the intermediate temperatures of 25-28°C (Kent 1983). Growth ceases when temperatures fall below 20°C.
Salinity:
Salinity: There are no specific studies addressing the salinity tolerance of Busycon contrarium.
V. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
Trophic Mode:
Lightning whelks are carnivorous and prey on bivalves such as clams, usually eating one a month. They force open the shells of the bivalve with their large foot and hold it open by the edge of their own shell. Once the bivalve is open, the whelk inserts its radula and proboscis inside the clam to scrape and eat the clam meat (Ruppert and Fox 1988). Members of this genus are considered a nuisance in regions of open water fisheries because they prey upon edible molluscs.
Associated Species:
The dead shells of Busycons are host to several species of Crepidula and are also often inhabited by hermit crabs and serve as substrata for oyster spat (Magalhaes 1948).
VI. SPECIAL STATUS
Fishery:
Members in the genus Busycon are used for food and ornaments. The muscular feet of these snails are used in chowders and served as steaks (Magalhaes 1948).
VII. REFERENCES
Boudreax ML, Stiner JL and LJ Walters. 2006. Biodiversity of sessile and motile macrofauna on intertidal oyster reefs in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida. Journal of Shellfish Research 25:1079-1089.
ITIS Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Available online.
Kent BW 1983. Natural history observations on the busyconine whelks Busycon contrarium (Conrad) and Busycon spiratum (Lamarck). Journal of Molluscan Studies 49:37-47.
Magalhaes H 1948. An ecological study of snails of the genus Busycon at Beaufort, North Carolina. Ecological Monographs 18 (3): 379-409.
Ruppert E and R Fox. 1988. Seashore Animals of the Southeast. University of South Carolina Press 429 pp.
The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience Left Handed Whelk, Lighting Whelk (Busycon contrarium). Available online.
ZipCodeZoo.com Busycon contrarium. Available online.
Report by: Melany P. Puglisi, Smithsonian Marine Station
Submit additional information, photos or comments to:
irl_webmaster@si.edu
Page last updated: October 1, 2008
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North Carolina | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
North Carolina
00:01:15 1 History
00:10:56 1.1 Native Americans, lost colonies, and permanent settlement
00:15:04 1.2 Colonial period and Revolutionary War
00:21:04 1.3 Antebellum period
00:24:39 1.4 American Civil War
00:28:14 2 Geography
00:31:02 2.1 Flora and fauna
00:31:10 2.2 Climate
00:33:14 3 Demographics
00:33:57 3.1 Ethnicity
00:34:48 3.2 Languages
00:35:52 3.3 Religion
00:38:29 3.4 Most populous counties
00:38:54 3.5 Major cities
00:39:21 3.6 Largest combined statistical areas
00:40:10 4 Economy
00:43:15 5 Transportation
00:44:09 6 Government and politics
00:46:53 7 Education
00:47:02 7.1 Primary and secondary education
00:48:16 7.2 Colleges and universities
00:50:09 8 Media
00:50:17 9 Sports
00:53:27 10 Tourism
00:56:11 11 Recreation
00:57:51 12 Arts and culture
00:59:04 12.1 Music
01:02:48 12.2 Shopping
01:03:48 12.3 Cuisine and agriculture
01:08:05 12.4 Ships named for the state
01:08:43 12.5 State parks
01:09:02 12.6 State symbols
01:11:23 12.7 Armed forces installations
01:12:34 13 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
North Carolina ( (listen)) is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. It borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west, Virginia to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. North Carolina is the 28th most extensive and the 9th most populous of the U.S. states. The state is divided into 100 counties. The capital is Raleigh, which along with Durham and Chapel Hill is home to the largest research park in the United States (Research Triangle Park). The most populous municipality is Charlotte, which is the second largest banking center in the United States after New York City.The state has a wide range of elevations, from sea level on the coast to 6,684 feet (2,037 m) at Mount Mitchell, the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River. The climate of the coastal plains is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical climate zone. More than 300 miles (500 km) from the coast, the western, mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate.
In 2018, North Carolina was ranked number one on Forbes' Best States for Business ranking for a second year in a row.
Georgia (U.S. state) | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Georgia (U.S. state)
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Georgia is a state in the Southeastern United States. It began as a British colony in 1733, the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established. Named after King George II of Great Britain, the Province of Georgia covered the area from South Carolina down to Spanish Florida and New France along Louisiana (New France), also bordering to the west towards the Mississippi River. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. In 1802–1804, western Georgia was split to the Mississippi Territory, which later split to form Alabama with part of former West Florida in 1819. Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870. Georgia is the 24th largest and the 8th most populous of the 50 United States. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing, second only to Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Atlanta, the state's capital and most populous city, has been named a global city.
Georgia is bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina, to the northeast by South Carolina, to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Florida, and to the west by Alabama. The state's northernmost part is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains system. The Piedmont extends through the central part of the state from the foothills of the Blue Ridge to the Fall Line, where the rivers cascade down in elevation to the coastal plain of the state's southern part. Georgia's highest point is Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet (1,458 m) above sea level; the lowest is the Atlantic Ocean. Of the states entirely east of the Mississippi River, Georgia is the largest in land area.
Georgia (U.S. state) | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Georgia (U.S. state)
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Georgia is a state in the Southeastern United States. It began as a British colony in 1733, the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established. Named after King George II of Great Britain, the Province of Georgia covered the area from South Carolina down to Spanish Florida and New France along Louisiana (New France), also bordering to the west towards the Mississippi River. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. In 1802–1804, western Georgia was split to the Mississippi Territory, which later split to form Alabama with part of former West Florida in 1819. Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870. Georgia is the 24th largest and the 8th most populous of the 50 United States. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing, second only to Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Atlanta, the state's capital and most populous city, has been named a global city.
Georgia is bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina, to the northeast by South Carolina, to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Florida, and to the west by Alabama. The state's northernmost part is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains system. The Piedmont extends through the central part of the state from the foothills of the Blue Ridge to the Fall Line, where the rivers cascade down in elevation to the coastal plain of the state's southern part. Georgia's highest point is Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet (1,458 m) above sea level; the lowest is the Atlantic Ocean. Of the states entirely east of the Mississippi River, Georgia is the largest in land area.
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