Buccinidae
The Buccinidae are a very large and diverse taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelks or true whelks.
The family includes more than 1500 species.
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.
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. The large foot is generally broad.
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
According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), followed by the revision in 2022 by Kantor, Y.I., Fedosov, A.E., Kosyan, A.R., Puillandre, N., Sorokin, P.A., Kano, Y., Clark, R. N. & Bouchet, P.,the family Buccinidae consists of six subfamilies:Subfamily Buccininae Rafinesque, 1815
Subfamily Beringiinae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1975
Subfamily Buccinidae incertae sedis
Subfamily Busyconinae* Wade, 1917 : presently, Busyconinae is treated as a synonym of the Busyconidae.
Subfamily Donovaniinae Casey, 1904 - synonym: Lachesinae L. Bellardi, 1877
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 has been raised to the status of family Pisaniidae in 2009 by Galindo, L. A.; Puillandre, N.; Utge, J.; Lozouet, P.; Bouchet, P.
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 BuccininaeAleutibuccinum J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758Castaneobuccinum J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023Plicibuccinum A. N. Golikov & Gulbin, 1977Sulcosinus Dall, 1895Volutharpa P. Fischer, 1856
Subfamily Buccinidae incertae sedis Anomalisipho Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912Corneobuccinum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977Helicofusus Dall, 1916Latisipho Dall, 1916Plicifusus Dall, 1902
- † Searlesia Harmer, 1914 Troschelia Mörch, 1876
- † Zelandiella Finlay, 1926
Subfamily Neptuneinae W. Stimpson, 1865Aulacofusus Dall, 1918Laevisipho J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023Neptunea Röding, 1798
Subfamily Parancistrolepidinae T. Habe, 1972Ancistrolepis Dall, 1895Bathyancistrolepis T. Habe & Ki. Ito, 1968Boreancistrolepis J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023Clinopegma Grant & Gale, 1931Japelion Dall, 1916Neancistrolepis Habe & Sato, 1973Parancistrolepis Azuma, 1965Pseudoliomesus Habe & Sato, 1973Thalassoplanes Dall, 1908
Subfamily Siphonaliinae Finlay, 1928Bayerius Olsson, 1971Japeuthria Iredale, 1918Mohnia Friele in Kobelt, 1879Pararetifusus Kosuge, 1967Phaenomenella Fraussen, 2006Siphonalia A. Adams, 1863
Subfamily Truncariinae Cossmann, 1901Truncaria A. Adams & Reeve, 1850
Subfamily Volutopsiinae Habe & Sato, 1973Crebrivolutopsius J. H. McLean & R. N. Clark, 2023Habevolutopsius Kantor, 1983Lussivolutopsius Kantor, 1983Pyrolofusus Mörch, 1869Volutopsius 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, 1853Adansonia Pallary, 1902: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884Agassitula Olsson & Bayer, 1972: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Anomalosipho: synonym of Anomalisipho Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912Antemetula Rehder, 1943: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Antimitra Iredale, 1917: synonym ofMetula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Barbitonia Dall, 1916: synonym of Neptunea Dall, 1916 represented as Neptunea Röding, 1798Bathybuccinum Golikov & Sirenko, 1989: synonym of Buccinum Linaeus, 1758Bathyclionella Kobelt, 1905: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883Beringion Habe & Ito, 1965: synonym of Beringius Dall, 1887Boreofusus G.O. Sars, 1878: synonym of Troschelia Mörch, 1876Brevisiphonia Lus, 1973: synonym of Thalassoplanes Dall, 1908Buccinopsis ''Jeffreys, 1867: synonym of Liomesus Stimpson, 1865Calliloncha Lus, 1978: synonym of Bayerius Olsson, 1971Chauvetiella F. Nordsieck, 1968: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884Chrysodomus Swainson, 1840: synonym of Neptunea Röding, 1798Colicryptus Iredale, 1918: synonym of Turrisipho Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912Colubrarina Kuroda & Habe in Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Costaria A. N. Golikov, 1977: synonym of Neptunea Röding, 1798Cryptomitra Dall, 1924: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883Dellina Beu, 1970: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883Donovania Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884Donovaniella F. Nordsieck, 1968: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884Echinosipho Kaiser, 1977: synonym of Americominella Klappenbach & Ureta, 1972Floritula Olsson & Bayer, 1972: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Folineaea Monterosato, 1884: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884Fulgur Montfort, 1810: synonym of Busycon Röding, 1798Golikovia Habe & Sato, 1973: synonym of Neptunea Habe & Sato, 1973 accepted as Neptunea Röding, 1798Harpofusus Habe & Ito, 1965: synonym of Pyrolofusus Mörch, 1869Hypojapelion Okutani, 1968 : synonym of Japelion Okutani, 1968 represented as Japelion Dall, 1916 Jumala Friele, 1882: synonym of Beringius Dall, 1887Kapala Ponder, 1982: synonym of Buccipagoda Ponder, 2010Lachesis Risso, 1826: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884Limatofusus Dall, 1918: synonym of Latisipho Dall, 1916Mada Jeffreys, 1867: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758Madiella Wenz, 1943: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758Mala Cossmann, 1901: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758Minitula Olsson & Bayer, 1972: synonym of Metula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Morrisonella Bartsch, 1945: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883Neptunia Locard, 1886: synonym of Neptunea Röding, 1798Nesaea Risso, 1826: synonym of Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884Ovulatibuccinum Golikov & Sirenko, 1989: synonym of Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758Paracalliloncha Lus, 1987: synonym of Bayerius Olsson, 1971Parasipho Dautzenberg & H. Fischer, 1912: synonym of Plicifusus Dall, 1902Pleurobela Monterosato in Locard, 1897: synonym of Belomitra P. Fischer, 1883Quasisipho Petrov, 1982: synonym of Plicifusus Dall, 1902- *