Penion crawfordi is an extinct species of marine snail or whelk, belonging to the true whelk family Austrosiphonidae.
Description Penion crawfordi is a large, extinct species of Penion siphon whelk. Shells of P. crawfordi have spine-like, dorso-ventrally compressed nodules on the shell spire.
(Original description) The shell is ovato-fusiform in shape and is distantly marked by spirally striated patterns. It consists of five whorls, where those of the spire appear distinctly flattened. Each of these spire whorls bears a row of tubercles located near the anterior suture, though this feature is largely covered up by the subsequent ventral whorl.
The body whorl is notably inflated and keeled, featuring a prominent row of nine large tubercles situated directly on the keel. Positioned just in front of them is a similar row of smaller tubercles. The aperture is oval in form, leading into what appears to be a short siphonal canal.
Distribution Fossils of Penion crawfordi are found in northern South Island and southern North Island in New Zealand.Crampton, J.S., Terezow, M. The Kiwi Fossil Hunter's Handbook. GNS Science, Auckland, New Zealand (2010).
References
Fleming, C.A. (1943). Tertiary Mollusca from Dannevirke Subdivision. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 73: 193–208. Marwick, J. (1932). Tertiary Mollusca from Burnt Hill. Records of the Canterbury Museum. 3: 495-503. Maxwell, P. A. (2009). Cenozoic Mollusca. Pp 232-254 in Gordon, D. P. (ed.) New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume one. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch. Beu, A.G. & Maxwell, P.A. (1990) Cenozoic Mollusca of New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin, 58, 1–518.
External links Revised descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990): Penion crawfordi (Hutton, 1873) International Fossil Shell Museum: New Zealand Miocene