Dog whelks have a conical shell with a pointed spire that look similar to that of a snail. They predominantly have white shells in Ireland, but they may also be brown or yellow.  

Dog whelks can be found on the lower shore, usually on the hunt for barnacles or mussels which are their favourite food! 

The dog whelk feeds on these animals by piercing a hole through their shells and then injecting a enzyme that digests the animal in its own shell! The dog whelk then uses its straw-like tongue to suck the resulting ‘soup’ out through the shell.  

Dog whelks lay their eggs in small yellow capsules which you may spot under rocky overhangs on the lower shore. Each capsule can contain up to a thousand eggs.