The surface is sculpted with fine striations and there is a ring of knob-like projections protruding from the widest part of the coil.

[3][4] The knobbed whelk lives subtidally and is migratory, alternating between deep and shallow water, depending on the time of year.

They wedge a bivalve open using the edge of their shell, and insert their long proboscis to eat the flesh of their victim.

Knobbed whelks are slow moving odour-mediated predators that have a considerable ability for temporal integration of signals and can successfully navigate prey odour plumes in naturally turbulent environments.

As with conchs, the knobbed whelk is used by humans as food in such dishes as salads (raw), burgers, fritters, and chowders.

Historically, American Indians used the knobbed whelk as a component in wampum, the shell beads exchanged in North America for trade.