Penion sulcatus

Taxobox
name = "Penion sulcatus"


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
ordo = Sorbeoconcha
familia = Buccinidae
genus = "Penion"
species = "P. sulcatus"
binomial = "Penion sulcatus"
binomial_authority = (Lamarck, 1816)
synonyms = "Fusus sulcatus" Lamarck, 1816
"Fusus zelandicus" Quoy and Gaimard, 1833
"Fusus adustus" Philippi, 1845

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

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.

Habitat

This whelk is found both intertidally and down to depths of about 90 m, usually in muddy situations.

hell description

The shell is large, fusiform, solid, and extremely variable in shape and in sculpture. The typical specimen has rounded whorls and prominent regular sharply-raised spiral cords.

The external shell coloration is usually reddish-brown.

The shell height is up to 162 mm, and width up to 66 mm.

References

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