Nick Upton / Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) from Atlantic Ocean. Cornwall, England, UK. September.

Chris Mattison / Rare purple form of Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) on the shore at Nash Point, Glamorgan.

Chris Mattison / Rare purple form of Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) resting on a colony of honeycomb worms (Sabellaria alveolata) on the shore at Nash Point, Glamorgan.

Robert Thompson / Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) on rock. Mill Quarter Bay, Killard Point National Nature Reserve, Strangford, County Down, Northern Ireland. February.

Robert Thompson / Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) and Common barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides) on rock. Mill Quarter Bay, Killard Point National Nature Reserve, Strangford, County Down, Northern Ireland. February.

Nick Upton / Group of Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) in an intertidal rock crevice among Acorn barnacles (Balanus perforatus) and Beadlet anemones (Actinia equina), Cornwall, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Dog whelk egg capsules (Nucella lapillus) with eggs visible inside in a crevice among intertidal rocks, Cornwall, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) egg capsules surrounded by a mat of Crumb-of-bread sponge (Hymeniacidon perlevis) on exposed intertidal rocks, Cornwall, UK, April.

Robin Chittenden / Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina) with Barnacles (Thoracica) Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) Brittany, France. August 2014

MYN / Carsten Krieger / Dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus) from rock pool, County Clare, Republic of Ireland. August. Meetyourneighbours.net project

Nick Upton / Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) and clusters of their eggs attached to a rock exposed at low tide, Rhossili, The Gower peninsula, Wales, UK, June.

Nick Upton / Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus), a predator of barnacles, on rocks encrusted with Common barnacles / Northern rock barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) exposed at low tide, with seaweed, a rock pool and th...

Nick Upton / Common mussels (Mytilus edulis), Dog Whelks (Nucella lapillus) and Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) attached to rocks exposed at low tide, Rhossili, The Gower peninsula, Wales, UK, June.

Sue Daly / Dog Whelk (Nucella lapillus) English Channel, off the coast of Sark, Channel Islands, September

Sue Daly / Dog Whelk (Nucella lapillus) English Channel, off the coast of Sark, Channel Islands, September

Alex Hyde / Selection of gastropods commonly found in rockpools, clockwise from top left: Periwinkle (Littorina compressa / nigrolineata), Dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus / Thaius lapillus), Common Flat Periwinkle (Li...

Nick Upton / Honeycomb worm reef (Sabellaria alveolata) with Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) and Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus), St.Bees, Cumbria, UK, July

Nick Upton / Honeycomb worm reef (Sabellaria alveolata) with Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) and Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus), St.Bees, Cumbria, UK, July

Nick Upton / Three Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus), predators of barnacles, on rocks encrusted with Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) exposed at low tide, North Berwick, East Lothian, UK, July

Nick Upton / Dense cluster of Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus), predators of barnacles, on rocks encrusted with Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) exposed at low tide, St. Bees, Cumbria, UK, July

Nick Upton / Dense cluster of Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus), predators of barnacles, on rocks encrusted with Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) exposed at low tide, St. Bees, Cumbria, UK, July

Nick Upton / Four Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus), predators of barnacles, on rocks encrusted with Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) exposed at low tide, some with barnacles growing on their shells, North Be...

Nick Upton / Young Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) on a boulder exposed at low tide, St. Bees, Cumbria, UK, July

Nick Upton / Young Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) crawling over a boulder exposed at low tide, St. Bees, Cumbria, UK, July

Nick Upton / Young Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) crawling over a boulder exposed at low tide, St. Bees, Cumbria, UK, July

Nick Upton / Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) on rocks encrusted with Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) exposed at low tide, some with barnacles growing on their shells, North Berwick, East Lothian, UK, July

Nick Upton / Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) eggs in a rock crevice, exposed at low tide, North Berwick, East Lothian, UK, July

Nick Upton / Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) dense cluster on rocks encrusted with Common barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) exposed at low tide, some with barnacles growing on their shells, with sand flats and the...

Ross Hoddinott / Dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus) feeding amongst a group of common mussels (Mytilus edulis) Sandymouth Bay, Cornwall, UK, November.

Philippe Clement / Dog whelk / Atlantic dogwinkle (Nucella lapillus) shell on beach, Normandy, France

MYN / Carsten Krieger / Dog Whelk (Nucella lapillus) shell, County Clare, Republic of Ireland, January. meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Jerry Monkman / Common periwinkles (Littorina littorea) (left and top) and Dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus). Rye, New Hampshire, USA, August. meetyourneighbours.net project

Nick Upton / Common Mussels (Mytilus edulis) Dog Whelk (Nucella lapillus), Common limpet (Patella vulgata) and Montagu's stellate barnacles (Chthamalus montagui) exposed at low tide on rocks fringing a sandy beach...

Robert Thompson / Dogwhelk {Nucella lapillus} and barnacles, Ballyhenry Point, Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland, September

Robert Thompson / Dog whelk {Nucella lapillus} and barnacles in tidepool, Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland, September

Robert Thompson / Dog whelks {Nucella lapillus} in tidepool, Ballyhenry Point, Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland, September

Wild Wonders of Europe / Lundgren / Dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus) massed together on rock, Lofoten, Norway, November 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Lundgren / Dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus) massed together on rock, Lofoten, Norway, November 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Lundgren / Dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus) massed together, Lofoten, Norway, November 2008

Philippe Clement / Dog whelk / Atlantic dogwinkle (Nucella lapillus) shell on beach, Normandy, France

Philippe Clement / Dog whelk / Atlantic dogwinkle (Nucella lapillus) shell, Normandy, France

Philippe Clement / Dog whelk / Atlantic dogwinkle (Nucella lapillus) shell on beach, Normandy, France

Niall Benvie / Dogwhelk {Nucella lapillus} egg cases amongst knotted wrack on strand line, Scottish Loch, UK

Sue Daly / Dog whelk {Nucella lapillus} Jersey, Channel Is, UK Corbiere

Sue Daly / Eggs of Dog whelk {Nucella lapillus} Jersey, Channel Is, UK Corbiere

Ross Hoddinott / Dog whelks with eggs {Nucella lapillus} Cornwall, UK

Ross Hoddinott / Dogwhelk eggs {Nucella lapillus} UK

Nick Upton / Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) with varied colours and patterning, exposed at low tide on barnacles. Rhossili, The Gower Peninsula, UK, July.

Nick Upton / Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) with varied colours and patterning, exposed at low tide on barnacles. Rhossili, The Gower Peninsula, UK, July.

Neil Bromhall / Common mussel {Mytilus edulis} holding down Dogwhelk {Nucella lapillus} with byssal in order to feeds on it. Dogwhelk may then drill into mussel shell and inject poisonous solution to feed on mussel.

Adrian Davies / Dogwhelk eggs {Nucella lapillus} Brittany France

David Hall / A reproductive aggregation of Frilled dogwinkles (Nucella lamellosa) note the yellow egg cases, top centre, Agamemnon Channel, Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada. February.