Penion cuvieranus cuvieranus

Taxobox
name = "Penion cuvieranus cuvieranus"


image_caption = "Penion cuvieranus cuvieranus" from the Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington, New Zealand
image_width = 220px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
ordo = Sorbeoconcha
subordo = Hypsogastropoda
infraordo = Neogastropoda
familia = Buccinidae
genus = "Penion"
species = "Penion cuvieranus"
subspecies = "P. cuvieranus cuvieranus"
trinomial = "Penion cuvieranus cuvieranus"
trinomial_authority = (Powell, 1927)
synonyms = "Fusus dilatatus" Quoy and gaimard, 1833
"Siphonalia dilatata" Suter, 1913
"Megalatractus maximus" Suter, 1913
"Verconella dilatata" Iredale, 1914
"Verconella dilatata rex" Finlay, 1927
"Verconella dilatata cuvieriana" Iredale, 1914

"Penion cuvieranus cuvieranus" is a subspecies of very large predatory sea snail or true whelk, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.

Distribution

This subspecies is endemic to New Zealand. It is found from Northland to Cook Strait.

Habitat

This whelk lives at depths of between 37 and 180 m.

hell description

Shallow-water shells tend to be more solid with a relatively short siphonal canal, but deeper-water ones are much thinner and have a long flexed anterior canal. The surface is spirally sculptured with an alternation of weak cords and fine threads.

The external shell coloration is buff, sometimes with pale brownish diffused axial streaks. The aperture and parietal callus are white.

The shell height is up to 235 mm, and width up to 113 mm.

References

* Powell A. W. B., "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1