RAPPIN' WITH THE RAPA WHELK

Level: Super Sleuth

The veined rapa whelk is a carnivorous marine snail that feeds on shellfish, many of which are commercially important species like oysters and hard clams. Read the following fact sheets associated with Vinny “the Cutter” Veined Rapa Whelk so that you can answer the multiple questions below. Once you have answered the questions correctly, use the information to create a rap song or a limerick for the veined rapa whelk. Print it out and perform it for your friends!

USGS Veined Rapa Whelk
Veined rapa whelks: Introduction

Read the following multiple choice questions and click on the letter of the correct answer.

1. The veined rapa whelk is a member of the familiy Muricidae, also known as:

herbivorous snails
predatory freshwater snails
predatory marine snails
bivalve mollusks

2. These gastropods (snails) prey upon:

bivalve mollusks
other snails
seaweed
fish

3. Rapa whelks originate from the:

Mediterranean Sea
Sea of Japan
Black Sea
Chesapeake Bay

4. Rapa whelks can endure wide temperature ranges. They cope with winter temperatures by:

burrowing in the mud and hibernating
migrating up rivers and streams
encasing themselves in a mucous ball
moving into deeper water

5. The egg masses of the rapa whelk resemble:

the egg masses of the native channeled whelk
gelatinous blobs
small mats of yellow shag carpet
sand-encrusted fingers

6. The first discovery of rapa whelks in U.S. waters was in:

1998
1989
1889
2005

7. One advantage rapa whelks have over native snails in the Chesapeake Bay is their rapid growth. This is an advantage because:

their shells quickly become too big and thick-shelled for local predators like sea turtles to fit in their mouths
they can eat larger bivalve shellfish than the other snails
they can move more easily and rapidly over the bottom
their shells can grow bigger without adding a lot of thickness initially

8. Veined rapa whelks reach sexual maturity in:

one year
two years
five years
ten years

9. Female rapa whelks lay eggs in mats of 50-500 egg cases. Each egg case contains:

1,000 to 2,000 eggs
50 to 200 eggs
5,000 to 10,000 eggs
200 to 1,000 eggs

10. Scientists are concerned about the impact of the rapa whelk on:

fish populations
shellfish populations
native whelk populations
crustacean populations

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