| Red whelk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Live individual of Neptunea antiqua | |
 | |
| Shell | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Buccinidae |
| Genus: | Neptunea |
| Species: | N. antiqua |
| Binomial name | |
| Neptunea antiqua | |
Neptunea antiqua, common name the red whelk, is a species of Northeast Atlantic sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks. [1]
N. antiqua resembles Buccinum undatum (common whelk). It can grow to a length of 20 cm (7.9 in), [2] although most specimens only reach half that size. [3] It is the largest marine snail in parts of its range. [2]
N. antiqua is found in the Northeast Atlantic along cold-temperate European coasts, ranging from the low water mark [4] to a depth of 1,200 m (3,900 ft). [3]
N. antiqua is primarily a scavenger, although it has been recorded attacking and eating some living polychaete species. [4] Unlike several of its more predatory relatives, experiments have shown that even hungry N. antiqua are not attracted to living undamaged mussels. [4]
N. antiqua contains tetramethylammonium salts (most likely the chloride) in its tissues, and has been the source of non-lethal human poisoning. [5]