Where is the veined rapa whelk invasive?
While relatively new to the Chesapeake, the rapa whelk has a long history of invading new territory. From its native waters around Korea and Japan, this predatory mollusk has spread to the Black, Aegean, Adriatic, and Mediterranean Seas in the last century.
Table of Contents
Where is the veined rapa whelk invasive?
While relatively new to the Chesapeake, the rapa whelk has a long history of invading new territory. From its native waters around Korea and Japan, this predatory mollusk has spread to the Black, Aegean, Adriatic, and Mediterranean Seas in the last century.
Are whelks invasive?
The veined rapa whelk is a large, predatory snail that lives in the lower Chesapeake Bay. It is an invasive species.
Why are veined rapa whelk invasive species?
The Veined rapa whelk was introduced to the U.S. via ballast water, boat hull fouling and aquaculture. It is transported locally through natural dispersion of its egg mats. It likely arrived in the U.S. in the 1980s from the Black Sea, a journey made easy by its long larval period.
Why is veined rapa whelk a problem?
Veined rapa whelks have caused significant changes in the ecology of bottom-dwelling organisms, and have become marine pests in the Black Sea. Although scientists are not completely aware of the impacts of the whelk, they are very concerned about its potential impact on native Bay species.
What do veined rapa whelk eat?
Veined rapa whelks are predators; that is, they eat other animals. Rapa whelks eat shellfish including oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria; Figure I.
What are whelk shells?
Whelks are snails with beautiful shells. If you see something on the beach that looks like a “seashell,” it’s probably the shell of a whelk. There are over 50 species of whelks.
What is whelk egg?
Whelks lay their eggs in a long, spiral-shaped casing that can reach up to 33 inches in length. The strand contains up to 200 small pouches, and each pouch contains up to 99 eggs. The female protects the string of eggs by anchoring one end at the bottom of the ocean.
Is an invasive species?
An invasive species can be any kind of living organism—an amphibian (like the cane toad), plant, insect, fish, fungus, bacteria, or even an organism’s seeds or eggs—that is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm. They can harm the environment, the economy, or even human health.
What is Chesapeake Bay known for?
The Chesapeake Bay has the largest land-to-water ratio (14:1) of any coastal water body in the world. More than 100,000 streams and rivers thread through the watershed and eventually flow into the Bay. Everyone within the Chesapeake Bay watershed is just minutes from one of the streams or rivers.
What should you do if you find a live rapa whelk in bay waters?
If the animal is a live rapa whelk, do not put it back into the water. Please keep the snail alive in seawater. If you find a live rapa whelk or even an empty rapa whelk shell, please call the VIMS Rapa Whelk Reporting Line at (804) 684-7361.
