An official website of the United States government.

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser’s address (or “location”) bar.

This site is also protected by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that’s been signed by the U.S. government. The https:// means all transmitted data is encrypted — in other words, any information or browsing history that you provide is transmitted securely.

National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Aquatic Invasives / Aquatic Invertebrates / Veined Rapa Whelk

Veined Rapa Whelk

View all resources
Veined rapa welk
Veined rapa whelk - Photo by Juliana M. Harding; Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Scientific Name: 

Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846) (CABI)

Synonym: 

Rapana thomasiana (Crosse, 1861), Rapana pontica (Nordsieck, 1969) (CABI)

Common Name: 

Veined rapa whelk, Asian rapa whelk

Native To: 

Western Pacific Ocean (Mann et al. 2004)

Date of U.S. Introduction: 

First discovered in 1998 (Mann et al. 2004)

Means of Introduction: 

Probably in ballast water (Mann et al. 2004)

Impact: 

Preys on bivalves, such as clams, oysters, and mussels (Mann et al. 2004)

Current U.S. Distribution: 
Chesapeake Bay

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Point Map - Veined Rapa Whelk
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides detailed collection information as well as animated map.

Images

Google Images - Veined Rapa Whelk
Google.
Invasive.org - Veined Rapa Whelk
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Videos

YouTube - A Story of an Invasive Alien Species, Rapana venosa, in the Black Sea

Google. YouTube; Turkish Marine Research Foundation.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Veined Rapa Whelk.

Partnership
NOBANIS: Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet - Rapana venosa (2010) (PDF | 121 KB)
European Network on Invasive Alien Species.
See also: NOBANIS Fact Sheets for invasive alien species of the European region, covering both animals and plants, as well as microorganisms
Global Invasive Species Database - Rapana venosa (mollusc)
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invasive Species Compendium - Rapana venosa
CAB International.
Non-native Species Information: Rapana venosa
Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat.
The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area - Veined Rapa Whelk

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).

Federal Government
National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System (NEMESIS) - Rapana venosa

Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Marine Invasions Research Lab.

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Fact Sheet - Veined Rapa Whelk
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides distribution maps and collection information (State and County).
Professional
Field Guide - Veined Rapa Whelk

Chesapeake Bay Program.

Citations