Kellet'S Whelk

Kelletia kelletii was discovered and described (under the name Fusus kelletii) by Manx naturalist Edward Forbes in 1850. The specific name kelletii is in honor of captain Henry Kellett, who led the scientific expedition during which these snails were collected.

Kellet's whelks are the largest buccinid gastropods found in southern California. The robust, spindle shaped, spiraled shell can reach 6.9 inches (17.5 centimeters) in length. Shells are white to tan and are often covered with encrusting organisms such as bryozoans, sponges and algae.

Kellet's whelks display sexual dimorphism with females being the larger individual in a mating pair. Females are generally sexually mature between 2.6 and 2.8 inches (6.5 and 7.0 centimeters), with males maturing at slightly smaller sizes.

Kelletia kelletii is found from Isla Asunción, Baja California, Mexico, to Monterey, CA, USA. The type locality is the "Californian coast". Studies suggest that the Kellet's whelk range expanded to Monterey Bay in the 1970s or early 1980s, possibly due to an El Niño event, and is dependent on recruits from southern California.

Kelletia kelletii is a large carnivorous scavenger. It also occasionally feeds on live organisms as a predatory gastropod. As a scavenger, it appears to be attracted to almost any injured or dead animal on the sea floor. Often in subtidal areas large numbers of Kelletia kelletii have been observed moving towards and/or feeding upon one food item.

As a predator Kellet's whelk feeds on dead or alive polychaetes, bivalves, sea snails, crustaceans, ascidians. Additionally, they are known to scavenge on dead fish, echinoderms, and cephalopods.

Kelletia kelletii is commonly found in subtidal kelp forests, rocky reefs and cobble-sand interfaces at depths ranging from 2 to 70 m. It is a conspicuous and abundant inhabitant of the nearshore subtidal reefs off southern California.

Females and males aggregate seasonally for mating. Fertilization is internal. Kellet's whelks reproduce annually, with egg-laying restricted to late spring and summer (in March, April and May). The snails form aggregations, with the average spawning cluster being about 15 to 20 snails. However, a few spawning aggregations contain between 200 and 300 individuals.

Shells of Kellet's whelks have been found in archeological and paleontological sites in southern California.