The Buccinidae are a very large and diverse taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelks or true whelks.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Buccinidae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=149 on 2010-12-30
The family includes more than 1500 species.
Habitat The true whelks occur worldwide in all seas from tropical oceans to the cold seas of the Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean. They are found from the intertidal to the bathypelagic zones. Most prefer a solid bottom, but some inhabit sandy substrates.
Description
The shells of species in this family are moderate to large in size, conical to fusiform in shape. The shell often has deep sutures. The shell surface is generally smooth, sometimes with a spiral and/ or axial sculpture. The thickness of the shell is more pronounced in tropical shallow-water species, while the shell of species living in moderate and colder waters is generally thin or moderately thin. The top of the whorls are more or less shouldered. The radial ribs of the shell sometimes show shoulder knobs. The aperture is large with a well-defined siphonal canal. The rim of the aperture is sometimes used to pry open the shell of bivalves. The aperture is closed by a horny operculum.
The soft body is elongated and spiral. The head has two conical, depressed tentacles which bear the eyes on a lobe or prominence at their base. The mouth contains a long, cylindrical, annulated proboscis and a small tongue. The mantle forms a thin-edged flap over the branchial cavity. On the left side, it has an elongated, open canal, that emerges by a notch or groove in the shell. The two gills are elongated, unequal and pectinate (i.e. in a comb-like arrangement). The large foot is generally broad. Macgillivray, William, History of the molluscous animals of Scotland, London, 1844
True whelks are carnivores and scavengers. They feed on clams, carrion, and sometimes even on detritus. Their sense of smell is very well-developed; they can sense chemical signals from their prey from a considerable distance with their osphradia. Many whelks are capable of boring through the shell of bivalves, and because of this, some species cause much harm in oyster farms. True whelks can even attack fish caught in a net by extending their probosces to twice the length of their own bodies.
The female whelk lays spongy egg capsules with hundreds of eggs. These form round clusters or a tower-shaped masses. Only about 10% of these eggs hatch. The larvae then feed on the rest of the eggs that have not yet hatched.
The flesh of the common northern whelk, Buccinum undatum, is much appreciated by connoisseurs as a food item, but its consumption is currently somewhat in decline.
The empty shell of a whelk is often used by the hermit crab to make its home.
Taxonomy
The family Busyconidae was for a time treated as a subfamily of Buccinidae called Busyconinae. Genera Antillophos, Engoniophos, Phos, Nassaria, Tomlinia, Anentome and Clea were treated within family Buccinidae, but they were moved to Nassariidae in 2016.
According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), followed by a revision in 2022 by Kantor et al.,Kantor, Y.I., Fedosov, A.E., Kosyan, A.R., Puillandre, N., Sorokin, P.A., Kano, Y., Clark, R. N. & Bouchet, P., 2022 the family Buccinidae consists of six subfamilies:
Subfamily Buccininae Rafinesque, 1815 Subfamily Beringiinae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1975 Subfamily Buccinidae incertae sedis (temporary name) Subfamily Busyconinae* Wade, 1917 (1867) : presently, Busyconinae is treated as a synonym of the Busyconidae. Subfamily Donovaniinae Casey, 1904 - synonym: Lachesinae L. Bellardi, 1877 (inv.) Subfamily Liomesinae P. Fischer, 1884 Subfamily Neptuneinae W. Stimpson, 1865 Subfamily Parancistrolepidinae T. Habe, 1972 Subfamily Siphonaliinae Finlay, 1928 - synonym: Austrosiphonidae Cotton & Godfrey, 1938 Subfamily Truncariinae Cossmann, 1901 Subfamily Volutopsiinae Habe & Sato, 1973
The subfamily Pisaniinae was raised to the status of family Pisaniidae in 2009.
Genera
Genera within the family Buccinidae include:
Genera not in a family: † Accidenticulabrum Vermeij, 2000 †Atractodon Charlesworth, 1837 † Buccinofusus Conrad, 1866 † Eripachya Gabb, 1869 † Hilda R. Hoernes & Auinger, 1884 † Laevibuccinum Conrad, 1865 † Phoracanthus K. Martin, 1914 † Pirgos De Gregorio, 1885 † Scalaspira Conrad, 1863 † Vagantospira Tembrock, 1968
Subfamily Beringiinae Aleutijapelion J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023 Beringius Dall, 1887 Exiloberingius J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023 Metajapelion Goryachev, 1987 Neoberingius T. Habe & Ki. Ito, 1965
Subfamily Buccininae Aleutibuccinum J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023 Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 Castaneobuccinum J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023 Plicibuccinum A. N. Golikov & Gulbin, 1977 Sulcosinus Dall, 1895 Volutharpa P. Fischer, 1856
Subfamily Buccinidae incertae sedis (temporary name) Anomalisipho Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912 Corneobuccinum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977 Helicofusus Dall, 1916 Latisipho Dall, 1916 Plicifusus Dall, 1902 † Searlesia Harmer, 1914 Troschelia Mörch, 1876 † Zelandiella Finlay, 1926
Subfamily Liomesini P. Fischer, 1884 Liomesus Stimpson, 1865
Subfamily Neptuneinae W. Stimpson, 1865 Aulacofusus Dall, 1918 Laevisipho J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023 Neptunea Röding, 1798
Subfamily Parancistrolepidinae T. Habe, 1972 Ancistrolepis Dall, 1895 Bathyancistrolepis T. Habe & Ki. Ito, 1968 Boreancistrolepis J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023 Clinopegma Grant & Gale, 1931 Japelion Dall, 1916 Neancistrolepis Habe & Sato, 1973 Parancistrolepis Azuma, 1965 Pseudoliomesus Habe & Sato, 1973 Thalassoplanes Dall, 1908
Subfamily Siphonaliinae Finlay, 1928 Bayerius Olsson, 1971 Japeuthria Iredale, 1918 Mohnia Friele in Kobelt, 1879 Pararetifusus Kosuge, 1967 Phaenomenella Fraussen, 2006 Siphonalia A. Adams, 1863
Subfamily Truncariinae Cossmann, 1901 Truncaria A. Adams & Reeve, 1850
Subfamily Volutopsiinae Habe & Sato, 1973 Crebrivolutopsius J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023 Habevolutopsius Kantor, 1983 Lussivolutopsius Kantor, 1983 Pyrolofusus Mörch, 1869 Volutopsius Mörch, 1857
subfamily ? † Boreokelletia Anderson, 1964 Limatofusus Vaught, 1989 Ornatoconcha Lus, 1987: this is a nomen nudum that belongs to the temporary family Buccinoidea incertae sedis
Synonyms
Acamptochetus Cossmann, 1901: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Adansonia Pallary, 1902: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884 Agassitula Olsson & Bayer, 1972: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Anomalosipho: synonym of Anomalisipho Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912 Antemetula Rehder, 1943: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Antimitra Iredale, 1917: synonym ofMetula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Barbitonia Dall, 1916: synonym of Neptunea (Barbitonia) Dall, 1916 represented as Neptunea Röding, 1798 Bathybuccinum Golikov & Sirenko, 1989: synonym of Buccinum Linaeus, 1758 Bathyclionella Kobelt, 1905: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883 Beringion Habe & Ito, 1965: synonym of Beringius Dall, 1887 Boreofusus G.O. Sars, 1878: synonym of Troschelia Mörch, 1876 Brevisiphonia Lus, 1973: synonym of Thalassoplanes Dall, 1908 Buccinopsis Jeffreys, 1867: synonym of Liomesus Stimpson, 1865 Calliloncha Lus, 1978: synonym of Bayerius Olsson, 1971 Chauvetiella F. Nordsieck, 1968: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884 Chrysodomus Swainson, 1840: synonym of Neptunea Röding, 1798 Colicryptus Iredale, 1918: synonym of Turrisipho Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912 Colubrarina Kuroda & Habe in Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Costaria A. N. Golikov, 1977: synonym of Neptunea Röding, 1798 Cryptomitra Dall, 1924: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883 Dellina Beu, 1970: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883 Donovania Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884 Donovaniella F. Nordsieck, 1968: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884 Echinosipho Kaiser, 1977: synonym of Americominella Klappenbach & Ureta, 1972 Floritula Olsson & Bayer, 1972: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Folineaea Monterosato, 1884: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884 Fulgur Montfort, 1810: synonym of Busycon Röding, 1798 Golikovia Habe & Sato, 1973: synonym of Neptunea (Golikovia) Habe & Sato, 1973 accepted as Neptunea Röding, 1798 Harpofusus Habe & Ito, 1965: synonym of Pyrolofusus Mörch, 1869 Hypojapelion Okutani, 1968 : synonym of Japelion (Hypojapelion) Okutani, 1968 represented as Japelion Dall, 1916 (superseded rank) Jumala Friele, 1882: synonym of Beringius Dall, 1887 Kapala Ponder, 1982: synonym of Buccipagoda Ponder, 2010 Lachesis Risso, 1826: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884 Limatofusus Dall, 1918: synonym of Latisipho Dall, 1916 Mada Jeffreys, 1867: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 Madiella Wenz, 1943: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 Mala Cossmann, 1901: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 Minitula Olsson & Bayer, 1972: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Morrisonella Bartsch, 1945: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883 Neptunia Locard, 1886: synonym of Neptunea Röding, 1798 Nesaea Risso, 1826: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884 Ovulatibuccinum Golikov & Sirenko, 1989: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 Paracalliloncha Lus, 1987: synonym of Bayerius Olsson, 1971 Parasipho Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912: synonym of Plicifusus Dall, 1902 Pleurobela Monterosato in Locard, 1897: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883 Quasisipho Petrov, 1982: synonym of Plicifusus Dall, 1902 * Reticubuccinum Ito & Habe, 1980: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 Sipho Mörch, 1852: synonym of Colus Röding, 1798 Siphonorbis Mörch, 1869: synonym of Colus Röding, 1798 Strombella Gray, 1857: synonym of Volutopsius Mörch, 1857 Syntagma Iredale, 1918: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884 Tacita Lus, 1971: synonym of Bayerius Olsson, 1971 Tritonellium Valenciennes, 1858: synonym of Tritonium O. F. Müller, 1776 accepted as Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 (unnecessary replacement name for Tritonium O. F. Müller, 1776, by Valenciennes considered a homonym of Tritonia Cuvier) Tritonidea Swainson, 1840: synonym of Cantharus Röding, 1798 Thysanobuccinum A. N. Golikov & Gulbin, 1980: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 Tritonium O.F. Müller, 1776: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758 Tritonofusus Beck, 1847: synonym of Colus Röding, 1798 Turrivolutopsius Tiba & Kosuge, 1979: synonym of Volutopsius Mörch, 1857 (unavailable name: no description or diagnosis) Ukko Friele, 1893: synonym of Beringius Dall, 1887 (unnecessary nom. nov. pro Jumala Friele, 1882, rejected as "improper";) Volutopsion T. Habe & Ki. Ito, 1965: synonym of Volutopsius Mörch, 1857 (junior subjective synonym)
References
Further reading Hayashi S. (2005). "The molecular phylogeny of the Buccinidae (Caenogastropoda: Neogastropoda) as inferred from the complete mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences of selected representatives". Molluscan Research 25(2): 85-98. abstract PDF The Seashells of New South Wales : Buccinidae Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 Glen Pownall, New Zealand Shells and Shellfish, Seven Seas Publishing Pty Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand 1979 Checklist of Mollusca OBIS Obis Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database : Buccinidae Worldwide Malacological Catalog : Buccinidae
External links
Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642