The Buccinidae are a very large and diverse taxonomic

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

of large

sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...

s, often known as

whelk Whelks are any of several carnivorous sea snail species with a swirling, tapered shell. Many are eaten by humans, such as the common whelk of the North Atlantic. Most whelks belong to the family Buccinidae and are known as "true whelks." Othe ...

s 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.

Taxonomy

The family

Busyconidae The Busyconidae are taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelk Whelks are any of several carnivorous sea snail species with a swirling, tapered shell. Many are eaten by humans, such as the common whelk of the North Atlanti ...

was for a time treated as a subfamily of Buccinidae called

Busyconinae The Busyconinae are taxonomic subfamily of large sea snails, often known as whelk Whelks are any of several carnivorous sea snail species with a swirling, tapered shell. Many are eaten by humans, such as the common whelk of the North Atla ...

. Genera '' Antillophos'', '' Engoniophos'', ''

Phos ''Phos'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Nassariidae.Bouchet, P. (2015). Phos Montfort, 1810. In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php ...

'', ''

Nassaria ''Nassaria'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Tomliniinae of the family (biology), family Nassariidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Nassaria Link, 1807. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Spec ...

'', '' Tomlinia'', ''

Anentome ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with Operculum (gastropod), opercula, Aquatic animal, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are Marine (ocean), ma ...

'' and '' ''Clea'''' were treated within family Buccinidae, but they were moved to

Nassariidae The Nassariidae, Nassa mud snails (US), or dog whelks (UK) are a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized snails, mostly marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda. These snails have rounded shells with a high spire, an oval ap ...

in 2016.

Habitat

The true whelks occur worldwide in all seas from tropical oceans to the cold seas of the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It spans an area of approximately and is the coldest of the world's oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, ...

and the

Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...

. They are found from the

intertidal The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various sp ...

to the

bathypelagic zone The bathypelagic zone or bathyal zone (from Greek βαθύς (bathýs), deep) is the part of the open ocean that extends from a depth of below the ocean surface. It lies between the mesopelagic above and the abyssopelagic below. The bathypela ...

s. 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 In optics, the aperture of an optical system (including a system consisting of a single lens) is the hole or opening that primarily limits light propagated through the system. More specifically, the entrance pupil as the front side image o ...

is large with a well-defined

siphonal canal The siphonal canal is an anatomical feature of the shells of certain groups of sea snails within the clade Neogastropoda. Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water i ...

. The rim of the aperture is sometimes used to pry open the shell of

bivalves Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed by a calcified exoskeleton consis ...

. 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
/ref> True whelks are

carnivore A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they ar ...

s and

scavenger Scavengers are animals that consume Corpse decomposition, dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a he ...

s. They feed on

clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve mollusc. The word is often applied only to those that are deemed edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the sea floor or riverbeds. Clams h ...

carrion Carrion (), also known as a carcass, is the decaying flesh of dead animals. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures ...

, and sometimes even on

detritus In biology, detritus ( or ) is organic matter made up of the decomposition, decomposing remains of organisms and plants, and also of feces. Detritus usually hosts communities of microorganisms that colonize and decomposition, decompose (Reminera ...

. 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 Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...

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 ''Buccinum undatum'', the common whelk or the waved buccinum, is a large, edible Marine (ocean), marine gastropod in the family (biology), family Buccinidae, the "true whelks".Fraussen, K.; Gofas, S. (2014). Buccinum undatum Linnaeus, 1758. Acces ...

'', 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

According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), the family Buccinidae consists of six subfamilies: Subfamily Buccininae Rafinesque, 1815 * tribe Ancistrolepidini Habe & Sato, 1973 * tribe Buccinini Rafinesque, 1815 * tribe Buccinulini Finlay, 1928 * tribe Colini Gray, 1857 - synonyms: Neptuneinae Stimpson, 1865; Chrysodominae Dall, 1870; Pyramimitridae Cossmann, 1901; Truncariinae Cossmann, 1901; Metajapelioninae Gorychaev, 1987 * tribe Cominellini Gray, 1857: in 2021 upgraded to family level Cominellidae * tribe Liomesini P. Fischer, 1884 - synonym: Buccinopsidae G. O. Sars, 1878 (inv.) * tribe Parancistrolepidini Habe, 1972 - synonym: Brevisiphoniinae Lus, 1973 * tribe Prosiphonini Powell, 1951 * tribe Volutopsiini Habe & Sato, 1973 Subfamily Beringiinae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1975 Subfamily

* Wade, 1917 (1867) : presently, Busyconinae is treated as a synonym of the

. Subfamily Donovaniinae Casey, 1904 - synonym: Lachesinae L. Bellardi, 1877 (inv.) Subfamily Neptuneinae W. Stimpson, 1865 Subfamily Siphonaliinae Finlay, 1928 - synonym: Austrosiphonidae Cotton & Godfrey, 1938 The subfamily Pisaniinae has been raised to the status of family

Pisaniidae The Pisaniidae are a taxonomic family of medium-sized sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classifi ...

in 2009 by Galindo, L. A.; Puillandre, N.; Utge, J.; Lozouet, P.; Bouchet, P.

Genera

Genera within the family Buccinidae include: subfamily Buccininae tribe Ancistrolepidini * '' Ancistrolepis'' Dall, 1895 tribe Buccinini * '' Buccinum''

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

* '' Suessionia'' Cossmann, 1889 † tribe Buccinulini * '' Buccinulum'' Deshayes, 1830 tribe Colini * '' Truncaria'' Adams & Reeve, 1850 tribe Liomesini * '' Liomesus'' Stimpson, 1865 tribe Parancistrolepidini * '' Parancistrolepis'' Azuma, 1965 tribe Prosiphonini * '' Prosipho'' Thiele, 1912 tribe Volutopsiini * '' Volutopsius'' Mörch, 1857 Subfamily Beringiinae * '' Beringius'' Dall, 1887 subfamily Donovaniinae Subfamily Neptuneinae W. Stimpson, 1865 * '' Aulacofusus'' Dall, 1918 * '' Neptunea'' Röding, 1798 subfamily Siphonaliinae * '' Siphonalia'' A. Adams, 1863 subfamily ? * '' Aeneator'' Finlay, 1927 * '' Afer'' Conrad, 1858 * '' Anomacme'' Strebel, 1905 * '' Anomalosipho'' Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912 * '' Antarctodomus'' A. Adams, 1863 * '' Antarctoneptunea'' Dell, 1972 * '' Antistreptus'' Dall, 1902 * '' Argeneuthria'' Pastorino, 2016 * '' Atractodon'' Charlesworth, 1837 * '' Austrofusus'' Kobelt, 1879 * '' Bartschia'' Rehder, 1943 * '' Bathyancistrolepis'' Habe & Ito, 1968 * '' Bathybuccinum'' Golikov & Sirenko, 1989 * '' Bathydomus'' Thiele, 1912 * '' Bayerius'' Olsson, 1971 * '' Beringion'' Habe & Ito, 1965 * † '' Boreokelletia'' Anderson, 1964 * '' Calliloncha'' Lus, 1978 * '' Cavineptunea'' Powell, 1951 * '' Chauvetia'' Monterosato, 1884 * '' Chlanidota'' Martens, 1878 * '' Chlanidotella'' Thiele 1929 * '' Chlanificula'' Powell, 1958 * ''

Clea Clea is a female given name. Clea may refer to: People with the given name * Clea DuVall (born 1977), actress * Clea Hoyte (born 1981), West Indies cricketer * Clea Koff (born 1972), British-born American forensic anthropologist and author * ...

'' A. Adams, 1855 * '' Clinopegma'' Grant & Gale, 1931 * '' Corneobuccinum'' Golikov & Gulbin, 1977 * '' Costaria'' Golikov, 1977 * '' Crenatosipho'' Linse, 2002 * '' Drepanodontus'' Harasewych & Kantor, 2004 * '' Egotistica'' Marwick, 1934 * '' Euthrenopsis'' Powell, 1929 * '' Euthria'' M. E Gray, 1850 * '' Euthriostoma'' Marche-Marchard & Brebion, 1977 * '' Falsimohnia'' Powell, 1951 * '' Fusinella'' Thiele, 1917 * '' Germonea'' Harasewych & Kantor, 2004 * † '' Golikovia'' Habe & Sato, 1972 * '' Habevolutopsius'' Kantor, 1983 * '' Harpofusus'' Habe & Ito, 1965 * '' Helicofusus'' Dall, 1916 * '' Hindsia'' A. Adams, 1855 * '' Japelion'' Dall, 1916 * '' Japeuthria'' Iredale, 1918 * '' Kelletia'' Fischer, 1884 * '' Latisipho'' Dall, 1916 * '' Limatofusus'' Vaught, 1989 * '' Lirabuccinum'' Vermeij, 1991 * '' Lussivolutopsius'' Kantor, 1983 * ''

Metaphos ''Metaphos'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family (biology), family Nassariidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Metaphos Olsson, 1964. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinesp ...

'' Olsson, 1964 * '' Meteuthria'' Thiele, 1912 * '' Mohnia'' Friele in Kobelt, 1879 * '' Muffinbuccinum'' Harasewych & Kantor, 2004 * '' Neancistrolepis'' Habe & Sato, 1972 * '' Neoberingius'' Habe & Ito, 1965 * '' Neobuccinum'' Smith, 1877 * '' Neoteron'' Pilsbry & Lowe, 1932 * '' Northia'' Gray, 1847 * '' Ornatoconcha'' Lus, 1987 * '' Ovulatibuccinum'' Golikov & Sirenko, 1989 * ''Parabuccinum'' Harasewych, Kantor & Linse, 2000 * ''Paracalliloncha'' Lus, 1987 * ''Paranotoficula'' Kantor & Harasewych, 2008 * ''Pararetifusus'' Kosuge, 1967 * ''Parviphos'' Sarasua, 1984 * ''Penion'' Fischer, 1884 * ''Phaenomenella'' Fraussen, 2006 * ''Plicibuccinum'' Golikov & Gulbin, 1977 * ''Plicifusus'' Dall, 1902 * ''Probuccinum'' Thiele, 1912 * ''Proneptunea'' Thiele, 1912 * ''Pseudoliomesus'' Habe & Sato, 1972 * ''Pyrolofusus'' Friele, 1882 * ''Reticubuccinum'' Ito & Habe, 1980 * ''Savatieria'' Rochebrune & Mabille, 1885 * ''Searlesia (gastropod), Searlesia'' Harmer, 1914 * ''Serratifusus'' Darragh, 1969 * ''Siphonofusus'' Kuroda & Habe, 1952 * ''Spikebuccinum'' Harasewych & Kantor, 2004 * ''Strebela'' Kantor & Harasewych, 2013 * ''Tacita'' Lus, 1971 * ''Tasmeuthria'' Iredale, 1925 * ''Thalassoplanes'' Dall, 1908 * ''Trajana'' Gardner, 1948 * ''Troschelia'' Mörch, 1876 * ''Volutharpa'' Fischer, 1856 * † ''Zelandiella'' Finlay, 1926 ;Genera brought into synonymy: * ''Acamptochetus'' Cossmann, 1901: synonym of''Metula (gastropod), Metula'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Adansonia'' Pallary, 1902: synonym of '' Chauvetia'' Monterosato, 1884 * ''Agassitula'' Olsson & Bayer, 1972: synonym of ''Metula (gastropod), Metula'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Anomalosipho'': synonym of ''Anomalisipho'' Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912 * ''Antemetula'' Rehder, 1943: synonym of ''Metula (gastropod), Metula'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Antimitra'' Iredale, 1917: synonym of''Metula (gastropod), Metula'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Barbitonia'' Dall, 1916: synonym of ''Neptunea (Barbitonia)'' Dall, 1916 represented as '' Neptunea'' Röding, 1798 * ''Bathyclionella'' Kobelt, 1905: synonym of ''Belomitra'' P. Fischer, 1883 * ''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 * ''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 (gastropod), Metula'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''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 (gastropod), Metula'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Folineaea'' Monterosato, 1884: synonym of '' Chauvetia'' Monterosato, 1884 * ''Fulgur'' Montfort, 1810: synonym of ''Busycon'' Röding, 1798 * ''Jumala'' Friele, 1882: synonym of '' Beringius'' Dall, 1887 * ''Kapala'' Ponder, 1982: synonym of ''Buccipagoda'' Ponder, 2010 * ''Lachesis'' Antoine Risso, Risso, 1826: synonym of '' Chauvetia'' Monterosato, 1884 * ''Mada'' Jeffreys, 1867: synonym of '' Buccinum''

* ''Madiella'' Wenz, 1943: synonym of '' Buccinum''

* ''Mala'' Cossmann, 1901: synonym of '' Buccinum''

* ''Minitula'' Olsson & Bayer, 1972: synonym of ''Metula (gastropod), Metula'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Morrisonella'' Bartsch, 1945: synonym of ''Belomitra'' P. Fischer, 1883 * ''Neptunia'' Locard, 1886: synonym of '' Neptunea'' Röding, 1798 * ''Nesaea'' Antoine Risso, Risso, 1826: synonym of '' Chauvetia'' Monterosato, 1884 * ''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 * ''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 * ''Tritonidea'' Swainson, 1840: synonym of ''Cantharus (gastropod), Cantharus'' Röding, 1798 * ''Tritonium'' O.F. Müller, 1776: synonym of '' Buccinum''

* ''Tritonofusus'' Beck, 1847: synonym of ''Colus'' Röding, 1798

References

External links

Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642
{{Authority control Buccinidae, Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque

Taxonomy

Habitat

Description

Taxonomy

Genera

References

Further reading

External links