Image of Sinistrofulgur pulleyi (Hollister 1958)

Description:

Several individuals of the Lightning Whelk, Busycon pulleyi, were observed at Laguna Madre, near Corpus Christi, Texas. The Texas State Shell is a common species in the bays and estuaries in Texas. Unlike most gastropods, it has a sinistral shell. Read about its confusing taxonomic history in Tunnell et al. (2010) Encyclopedia of Texas Seashells, p. 223. See more about this species at the Biodiversity of the Gulf of Mexico (BioGoMx) database at: http://gulfbase.org/biogomx/biospecies.php?species=Spp-33-0948