Left-handed Whelk coral The fronds may be clustered

The fronds may be clustered together in a supercolony formed from one or more individual colonies and extending for several metres (yards) across the seabed

Male individuals in this species are considerably smaller than females

and they have relatively well-developed nervous systems

Next week we will explore more about this great local species

Cut shells for name cards

Left-handed Whelk coral The fronds may be clusteredThe Lightning Whelk, Sinistrofulgur sinistrum (Hollister, 1958), is one of the local molluscan celebrities, not only because of its large size, but also thanks to very special features that make this species truly remarkable. For instance, unlike most gastropods, which are right handed, the Lightning Whelk has a left handed shell (shell opening to the right with shell spire pointing up). Abnormally right handed Lightning Whelks are very uncommon, but