Waved whelk | DE L'EAU À LA BOUCHE

Illustration couleur d'un buccin commun.

Corps blanc avec des taches noires.

Coquille couleur claire avec une mince couche jaune. Sa forme et sa couleur peuvent varier.

5 à 8 spirales qui se finissent par une pointe.

Ouverture de la coquille qui se ferme grâce à un opercule dur présent au bout du pied du buccin.

Nom

Waved whelk
Buccinum undatum

Type

Seafood - molluscs

Autres appellations

Common northern whelk, buckie

Nom en cuisine

Whelk, waved whelk

État de la ressource

Not determined

Saison de consommation

Fresh in spring and autumn.

SIZE:

Its shell can grow to 15 cm.

LIFE EXPECTANCY:

From 10 to 15 years.

LIFE CYCLE:

Mating takes place between May and June. Two or three weeks later, the females come together to lay their eggs in the same place. The eggs form a spongy, yellowish, sticky mass casing, sometimes called sea wash balls. Five to eight months later, juvenile whelks are born, 2 mm to 3 mm in size.

Bed and breakfast

Empty whelk shells are becoming a favourite home for hermit crabs.

Coastal zone, up to 30 m in depth.

The waved whelk favours cold waters and sandy or rocky bottoms.

Photographie couleur d'un buccin commun sur un fond de sable et d'algues.

Waved whelk likes sandy bottoms.
Credit: Richard Larocque, photo taken in Pointe-au-Père.

Voir l’image en plein écran

PREYS:

Softshell clams
Bivalve shellfishes
Organic matters

PREDATORS:

Sea stars
Crabs
Lobsters
Fishes

MACHINES:

Traps.

REGULATIONS:

Fishing effort management (number of traps, minimum whelk shell size of 63 mm).
Total allowable catch in certain fishing zones.
Fishing seasons.

As the waved whelk is not a fast-moving animal, it is more vulnerable to local over-fishing. It has been fished in the St. Lawrence River since 1940.

BENEFITS:

Rich in magnesium, iron, calcium, and in B and C proteins.

LET’S COOK:

Sold cooked, frozen, or preserved in brine or vinegar. Texture and flavour depend on how it has been prepared. In brine, it will have a finer iodized flavour. In vinegar, whelk will have a slightly tougher texture. Freezing tenderizes the product, giving it a softer texture.

OUR CULINARY ADVICE:

The waved whelk is like a giant snail. Instead of eating garlic escargots, why not try the local version with whelk?
Great as an appetizer, snack, or in a chowder.