265 
Abstract— With the southern New 
England lobster fishery in distress, 
lobster fishermen have focused more 
effort toward harvesting channeled 
whelk (Busycotypus canaliculatus). 
However, minimal research has been 
conducted on the life history and 
growth rates of channeled whelk. 
Melongenid whelks generally grow 
slowly and mature late in life, a 
characteristic that can make them 
vulnerable to overfishing as fish- 
ing pressure increases. We sampled 
channeled whelk from Buzzards Bay, 
Massachusetts, in August 2010 and 
in July 2011, studied their gonad 
development by histology, and aged 
them by examining opercula. Males 
had a slower growth rate and a low- 
er maximum size than females. Male 
whelk reached 50% maturity (SM50) 
at 115.5 mm shell length (SL) and at 
the age of 6.9 years. Female whelk 
reached SM50 at 155.3 mm SL and 
at the age of 8.6 years. With a mini- 
mum size limit of 69.9 mm (2.75 in) 
in shell width, males entered the 
fishery at 7.5 years, a few months 
after SM50, but females entered the 
fishery at 6.3 years, approximately 2 
years before SM50. Increased fishing 
pressure combined with slow growth 
rates and the inability to reproduce 
before being harvested can eas- 
ily constrain the long-term viability 
of the channeled whelk fishery in 
Massachusetts. 
Manuscript submitted 25 September 2012. 
Manuscript accepted 28 May 2013. 
doi 10.7755/FB.111.3.5 
Fish. Bull. 111:265-278 (2013). 
The views and opinions expressed or 
implied in this article are those of the 
author (or authors) and do not necesarily 
reflect the position of the National 
Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. 
Age, size, and sexual maturity of channeled 
whelk ( Busycotypus canaliculatus ) in 
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 
Bhae-Jin Peemoeller (contact author ) 1 
Bradley G. Stevens 2 
Email address for contact author: bhaejin@gmail.com 
1 Department of Natural Sciences 
University of Maryland Eastern Shore 
Carver Hall 
Princess Anne, Maryland 21853 
Present address for contact author: 5013 Smith Farm Road 
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23455 
2 Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center 
Department of Natural Sciences 
University of Maryland Eastern Shore 
Carver Hall 
Princess Anne, Maryland 21853 
The channeled whelk (Busycotypus 
canaliculatus-. Melongenidae) sup- 
ports a small but growing fishery 
in Massachusetts. Most fishing is 
conducted by lobstermen during the 
off-season (spring and fall) or when 
the lobster fishery is slow; therefore, 
fishing of this species typically is 
done on a part-time basis. However, 
channeled whelk landings in Mas- 
sachusetts increased substantially 
after 2000, as the southern New 
England lobster stock declined, and 
reached 1400 metric tons in 2011 
with a value of $6.2 million (Glenn 
and Wilcox 1 ). In addition, exvessel 
prices have nearly doubled from 2007 
to 2011, increasing the incentive to 
expand effort in this fishery (Glenn 
and Wilcox 1 ). Fishing pressure may 
affect the average size of whelks be- 
cause many fishermen may focus on 
catching larger whelks (>160 mm 
shell length [SL]). Davis and Sisson 
(1988) reported declines in popula- 
tion density and mean shell width 
1 Glenn, R., and S. Wilcox. 2012. Profile 
of the channeled whelk pot fishery, 9 p. 
Report to the Massachusetts Marine Ad- 
visory Commission. Massachusetts Di- 
vision of Marine Fisheries, Invertebrate 
Fisheries Program, 1213 Purchase St., 
New Bedford, MA 02740. 
(maximum distance across shell) for 
channeled whelk in Nantucket Sound 
between 1978 and 1981. Bruce (2006) 
reported a decrease in mean SL be- 
tween 1994 and 2004 for a related 
species, knobbed whelk ( Busycon 
carica), subject to a dredge fishery in 
Delaware Bay. 
Most whelk research has been 
conducted on knobbed whelk, and 
minimal research has been done on 
channeled whelk (Avise et ah, 2004; 
Bruce, 2006; Castagna and Kraeuter, 
1994; Eversole et ah, 2008; Kraeu- 
ter et ah, 1989; Power et al. 2 ; Walk- 
er et al., 2005; Walker et ah, 2007). 
Because of limited information on 
growth rates and size at maturity, 
managers do not know if the current 
minimum size limit of 69.9 mm (2.75 
in) in shell width (SW) is appropri- 
ate to ensure the reproduction and 
longevity of channeled whelk in Mas- 
2 Power, A. J., C. J. Sellers, and R. L. Walk- 
er. 2009. Growth and sexual maturity 
of the knobbed whelk, Busycon carica 
(Gmelin, 1791), from a commercially 
harvested population in coastal Georgia, 
24 p. Occasional Papers of the Univer- 
sity of Georgia Marine Extension Ser- 
vice, vol. 4. Marine Extension Service, 
Univ. Georgia, Shellfish Research Labo- 
ratory, Savannah, GA. 
