Buccinum


Buccinum is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.
Snails in this genus are commonly called whelks, a name shared with several related and unrelated species. The common whelk Buccinum undatum is the most common representative of the genus in the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Description

The shell is ovate or ovate-conical and elongated. The spire is moderate and pointed. The aperture is oval or oblong with a deep notch anteriorly and without a siphonal canal. The columella is plain, not flattened, swollen above, and often covered with a wide and flattened calcareous callosity, of more diaphanous substance. There sometimes exists a fold at the base of the columella. The outer lip is plain, quite thin, sometimes recurved, and forming a margin on the exterior. The thin, horny operculum is ovate and concentrically striate.
The soft body is elongated and spiral. The foot almost always considerable and subelliptical. It is shielded or two-lobed before, emarginated behind, bearing an operculum. The mantle is simple and forms a thin-edged flap over the branchial cavity. It is provided with a branchial siphon, projecting, thick, very long and dorsal, issuing from the emargination at the base of the shell. The head is rather thick, furnished with two conical, depressed tentacles supporting the eyes upon the outer side, . The mouth is provided with a retractile trunk, armed with minute teeth. The radula acts as a rasp. The sexes are separate. The love dart of the male is considerable, without an exterior furrow at its base.
All animals are carnivores and scavengers, feeding on dead or damaged marine animals. They are provided with a cylindrical trunk, susceptible of being much elongated or of being concealed entirely within the body. This trunk is armed at its extremity with beaks, which enable the animal to pierce the shell of other molluscs and crustaceans, upon which it preys.
The sexes are separate. The shells of the males are generally smaller, and less inflated than those of the females. The males are provided with a very large love dart, i.e. an exciting appendage, which, in a state of repose, is situated under the right edge of the mantle.
The eggs are generally united together. They are sometimes driven and transported by the waves to distances far removed from the places where they had been deposited; whence the same species of Buccinum are often found in very different climates.

Distribution

The whelks are met with in all seas, especially upon rocks, where they occur in large numbers. The warmest climates furnish the species most brilliant in coloring. Some species serve for food to the inhabitants of many countries, particularly upon the shores of the English Channel and the North Sea.

Species

Species in the genus Buccinum include:
  • Buccinum abyssorum A.E. Verrill, 1884 - shingled whelk
  • Buccinum acuminulatum Golikov, 1980
  • Buccinum acutispiratum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum aleuticum Dall, 1895
  • Buccinum alveolatum Kiener, 1834
  • Buccinum angulosum J.E. Gray, 1839 - angular whelk
  • * Buccinum angulosum angulosum J.E. Gray, 1838 - angular whelk
  • Buccinum aniwanum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum araitonum Tiba, 1981
  • Buccinum argillaceum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977
  • Buccinum baerii
  • * Buccinum baerii baerii
  • * Buccinum baerii polium Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum bayani
  • Buccinum belcheri Reeve, 1855
  • Buccinum beringense Golikov, 1980
  • Buccinum bicordatum
  • Buccinum bizikovi Kantor, Sirenko, Zvonareva & Fedosov, 2022
  • Buccinum bombycinum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum bulimuloideum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum byssinum Tiba, 1983
  • Buccinum cascadiense R. N. Clark, 2022
  • Buccinum castaneum Dall, 1877
  • Buccinum chartium Dall, 1919
  • Buccinum chinoi Kantor, Sirenko, Zvonareva & Fedosov, 2022
  • Buccinum chishimananux Habe, T. & Ito, 1965
  • Buccinum chishimanum Pilsbry, 1904
  • Buccinum ciliatum Fabricius, 1780
  • Buccinum clarki
  • Buccinum cnismatopleura Dall, 1919
  • Buccinum cnismatum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum conoideum G.O. Sars, 1878
  • Buccinum costatum Golikov, 1980: junior homonym, invalid: junior homonym of Buccinum costatum Linnaeus, 1758; B. gulbini is a replacement name )
  • Buccinum crebricarinatum Lus, 1978
  • Buccinum crebricostatum Lus, 1978: erroneous spelling of original name by Golikov )
  • Buccinum crenatum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977
  • Buccinum cristatum Golikov & Sirenko, 1988
  • Buccinum cyaneum Bruguiere, 1792 - bluish whelk
  • * Buccinum cyaneum cyaneum Bruguiere, 1792 - bluish whelk
  • * Buccinum cyaneum patulum G.O. Sars, 1878 - bluish whelk
  • * Buccinum cyaneum perdix Mörch, 1868 - bluish whelk
  • Buccinum denseplicatum Golikov, 1980
  • Buccinum diplodetum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum donovani J. E. Gray, 1839
  • Buccinum ectomycina Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum elegantum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977
  • Buccinum epifragilum Tiba, 1983
  • Buccinum epistomium Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum eugrammatum Dall, 1907 - lirate whelk
  • Buccinum fedosovi Kantor & Sirenko, 2024
  • Buccinum felis Okutani, 1964
  • Buccinum fimbriatum
  • Buccinum finmarkianum Verkrüzen, 1875
  • Buccinum flavidum Golikov, 1980
  • Buccinum fragile G. O. Sars, 1878
  • Buccinum frausseni Alexeyev & Gornichnykh, 2009
  • Buccinum fringillum Dall, 1877 - finch whelk
  • Buccinum frustulatum Golikov, 1980
  • Buccinum fukureum Habe & Ito, 1976
  • Buccinum gadusensis Fraussen & Terryn, 2021
  • Buccinum glaciale Linnaeus, 1761 - glacial whelk
  • Buccinum golikovi Kantor, Sirenko, Zvonareva & Fedosov, 2022
  • Buccinum gulbini Kantor, Sirenko, Zvonareva & Fedosov, 2022
  • Buccinum habui Tiba, 1984
  • Buccinum hasegawai Kantor, Sirenko, Zvonareva & Fedosov, 2022
  • Buccinum hertzensteini Verkruzen, 1882
  • Buccinum higuchii
  • Buccinum hosoyai Habe & Ito, 1965
  • Buccinum humphreysianum Bennett, 1825
  • Buccinum hydrophanum Hancock, 1846
  • Buccinum isaotakii Kira, 1962
  • Buccinum japonicum A. Adams, 1861
  • Buccinum jeffreysii Smith, 1875
  • Buccinum kadiakense Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum kashimanum Okutani, 1964
  • Buccinum kawamurai Habe & Ito, 1965
  • Buccinum kinukatsugai Habe & Ito, 1968
  • Buccinum kjennerudae Bouchet & Warén, 1985
  • Buccinum kobjakovae Golikov & Sirenko, 1988
  • Buccinum koreana Choe, Yoon & Habe, 1992
  • Buccinum koshikinum Okutani in Okutani, Tagawa & Horikawa, 1988
  • Buccinum kosyanae Kantor & Sirenko, 2024
  • Buccinum kurilense Golikov & Sirenko, 1988
  • Buccinum kushiroense Habe & Ito, 1976
  • Buccinum lamelliferum Lus, 1976
  • Buccinum leucostoma Lischke, 1872
  • Buccinum limnoideum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum lischkeanum Loebbecke, 1881
  • Buccinum longifiliare Tiba, 1983
  • Buccinum lyperum Dall, 1919
  • Buccinum macleani R. N. Clark, 2019
  • Buccinum maehirai Tiba, 1980
  • Buccinum maltzani Pfeffer, 1886
  • Buccinum micropoma Thorson, 1944 - berry whelk
  • Buccinum middendorfii Verkruzen, 1882
  • Buccinum mirandum Smith, 1875
  • Buccinum miyauchii Azuma, 1972
  • Buccinum mizutanii Habe & Ito, 1970
  • Buccinum mysticum Shikama, 1963
  • Buccinum niponense Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum nivale Friele, 1882
  • Buccinum nodocostum Tiba, 1984
  • Buccinum normale Dall, 1885
  • Buccinum oblitum Sykes, 1911
  • Buccinum obsoletum Golikov, 1980
  • Buccinum ochotense - Okhotsk whelk
  • Buccinum oedematum Dall, 1907 - swollen whelk, swollen whelk
  • Buccinum opisoplectum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum osagawai Habe & Ito, 1968
  • Buccinum ovulum Dall, 1895
  • Buccinum parvulum Verkrüzen, 1875
  • Buccinum pemphigus Dall, 1907
  • * Buccinum pemphigus major Dall, 1919
  • * Buccinum pemphigus orotundum Dall, 1907
  • * Buccinum pemphigus pemphigus Dall, 1907
  • † Buccinum pengaronense O. Boettger, 1875
  • Buccinum percrassum Dall, 1883 - crude whelk
  • Buccinum physematum Dall, 1919
  • Buccinum pilosum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977
  • Buccinum planeticum Dall, 1919 - wandering whelk
  • Buccinum plectrum Stimpson, 1865 - sinuous whelk
  • Buccinum polare J.E. Gray, 1839 - polar whelk
  • Buccinum polium Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum pulchellum G.O. Sars, 1878
  • Buccinum rarusum Tiba, 1984
  • Buccinum rondinum Dall, 1919
  • Buccinum rossellinum Dall, 1919
  • Buccinum rossicum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum sagamianum Okutani, 1977
  • Buccinum sakhalinense Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum scalariforme Moller, 1842 - ladder whelk
  • Buccinum schantaricum
  • Buccinum shiretokoensis Habe & Ito, 1976
  • Buccinum sigmatopleura Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum simplex
  • Buccinum simulatum Dall, 1907
  • Buccinum solidum Golikov & Sirenko, 1988
  • Buccinum striatellum Golikov, 1980
  • Buccinum striatissimum G.B. Sowerby III, 1899
  • Buccinum strigillatum Dall, 1891
  • Buccinum subreticulatum Habe & Ito, 1965
  • Buccinum superangulare Thorson & Oskarsson in Oskarsson, 1962
  • Buccinum suzumai Habe & Ito, 1980
  • Buccinum takagawai Habe & Ito, 1972
  • Buccinum tanguaryi Baker, 1919
  • Buccinum tenellum Dall, 1883
  • Buccinum tenuissimum Kuroda in Teramachi, 1933
  • Buccinum tenuisulcatum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977
  • Buccinum terebriforme Habe & Ito, 1980
  • Buccinum terraenovae
  • Buccinum thermophilum Harasewych & Kantor, 2002
  • Buccinum trescostatum Tiba, 1980
  • Buccinum tsubai Kuroda, 1933
  • Buccinum tumidulum G.O. Sars, 1878
  • Buccinum tunicatum Golikov & Gulbin, 1977
  • Buccinum undatum Linnaeus, 1758 - waved whelk
  • Buccinum unicordatum
  • Buccinum unuscarinatum Tiba, 1981
  • Buccinum verkruzeni Kobelt, 1882
  • Buccinum violaceum Quoy & Gaimard, 1832
  • Buccinum viridum Dall, 1889 - turban whelk, turban whelk
  • Buccinum wakuii Ito & Habe, 1980
  • Buccinum yadai
  • Buccinum yokomaruae Yamashita & Habe, 1965
  • Buccinum yoroianum Ozaki, 1958
  • Buccinum zelotes Dall, 1907