The dog whelk, dogwhelk, or Atlantic dogwinkle (Nucella lapillus) is a species of predatory sea snail, a carnivorous marine gastropod in the family Muricidae, the rock snails. Nucella lapillus was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Buccinum lapillus (the basionym).

The dog whelk shell is small and rounded with a pointed spire and a short, straight siphonal canal (a groove on the underside of the shell) and a deep anal canal.

In some populations, mainly sublittoral or from the intertidal in North Kent, the growth lines extend outwards to form flounces or ruffles, and this variety of dog whelk is called Nucella lapillus var. imbricata. The animal itself is white or cream coloured with white speckles, and a flattened head.

Dog whelks have a conical shell with a pointed spire. They predominantly have white shells in the UK, but may be brown or yellow. The dog whelk is smaller than the common whelk, smoother than the netted whelk and more rounded than the oyster drill. The animal itself is white or cream coloured but rarely seen.

Dog whelks avoid dense mussel beds, preferring the diffuse margins between the mussel bed and the surrounding barnacle dominated substratum, or solitary mussels (Petraitis, 1987; Fretter & Graham, 1994; Davenport et al., 1996).

Dogwhelks, Nucella lapillus (Linnaeus, 1758), also called Atlantic dogwinkles, are an intertidal snail with a solid, conical shaped shell. They generally have about six swollen whorls. Their shell is usually about 3 cm high and 2 cm wide, but may grow up to 6 cm in height.

Common dog whelks are carnivorous, preying on various bivalve mollusks, such as mussels and clams, as well as other small marine creatures. They employ a unique feeding technique by drilling holes into the shells of their prey, then using a combination of paralyzing chemicals and digestive enzymes to access the soft tissue inside.

Have a broad, conical shell with spiral ridges and a short, pointed spire. They usually have six swollen whorls, but the last whorl is largest. The shell is usually three centimetres tall by two centimetres wide but can be up to six centimetres tall.

Many predators cannot smash the strong shell of an adult dog whelk, but juveniles are vulnerable to attack from many predatory species. Eider Ducks and various other birds simply swallow the entire body with its shell, while oystercatchers and various crustaceans are often capable of crushing or breaking the shells.

The dog whelk, dogwhelk, or Atlantic dogwinkle is a species of predatory sea snail, a carnivorous marine gastropod in the family Muricidae, the rock snails. The dog whelk shell is small and rounded with a pointed spire and a short, straight siphonal canal and a deep anal canal.