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Buccinidae is a very large and diverse taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelks or true whelks.^2]

True whelks are mostly marine (with some genera freshwater) gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda. The family includes more than 1500 species.

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 zone. Most prefer a solid bottom, but some inhabit sandy substrates.

Some genera from Buccinidae are freshwater, for example genus Clea.

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 (i.e. in a comb-like arrangement). The large foot is generally broad.^[3]

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 osphradium. 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 extending their proboscis 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 haven't 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.

Egg cases of the common whelk (Buccinum undatum)

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
• 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 & Starob ogatov, 1975

Subfamily Busyconinae Wade, 1917 (1867)

• tribe Busyconini Wade, 1917 (1867) - synonym: Fulgurinae Stoliczka, 1867
• tribe Busycotypini Petuch, 1994

Subfamily Donovaniinae Casey, 1904 - synonym: Lachesinae L. Bellardi, 1877 (inv.)

Subfamily Pisaniinae Gray, 1857 - synonyms: Photinae Gray, 1857; Pusiostomatidae Iredale, 1940

Subfamily Siphonaliinae Finlay, 1928 - synonym: Austrosiphonidae Cotton & Godfrey, 1938

Genera

Buccinum undatum on a stamp from the Faroe Islands

Genera within the family Buccinidae include:

subfamily Buccininae

tribe Ancistrolepidini

• Ancist rolepis Dall, 1895

tribe Buccinini

• Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758

tribe Buccinulini

• Buccinulum Deshayes, 1830

tribe Colini

• Colus R?ding, 1798
• Neptunea R?ding, 1798 - synonym: Chrysodomus Swainson, 1840
• Truncaria Adams & Reeve, 1850

tribe Cominellini

• Cominella Gray, 1850

tribe Liomesini

• Liomesus Stimpson, 1865

tribe Parancistrolepidini

• Parancistrolepis Azuma, 1965

tribe Prosiphonini

• Prosipho Thiele, 1912

tribe Volutopsiini

• Volutopsius M?rch, 1857

Subfamily Beringiinae

• Beringius Dall, 1887

subfamily Busyconinae

tribe Busyconini

• Busycon R?ding, 1798

tribe Busycotypini

• Busycotypus Wenz, 1943

subfamily Donovaniinae

subfamily Pisaniinae

• Pisania Bivona, 1832

subfamily Siphonaliinae

• Siphonalia A. Adams, 1863

subfamily ?

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 haven't 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.

Egg cases of the common whelk (Buccinum undatum)

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
• 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 Busyconinae Wade, 1917 (1867)

• tribe Busyconini Wade, 1917 (1867) - synonym: Fulgurinae Stoliczka, 1867
• tribe Busycotypini Petuch, 1994

Subfamily Donovaniinae Casey, 1904 - synonym: Lachesinae L. Bellardi, 1877 (inv.)

Subfamily Pisaniinae Gray, 1857 - synonyms: Photinae Gray, 1857; Pusiostomatidae Iredale, 1940

Subfamily Siphonaliinae Finlay, 1928 - synonym: Austrosiphonidae Cotton & Godfrey, 1938

Genera

Buccinum undatum on a stamp from the Faroe Islands

Genera within the family Buccinidae include:

subfamily Buccininae

tribe Ancistrolepidini

• Ancistrolepis Dall, 1895

tribe Buccinini

• Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758

tribe Buccinulini

• Buccinulum Deshayes, 1830

tribe Colini

• Colus R?ding, 1798
• Neptunea R?ding, 1798 - synonym: Chrysodomus Swainson, 1840
• Truncaria Adams & Reeve, 1850

tribe Comi nellini

• Cominella Gray, 1850

tribe Liomesini

• Liomesus Stimpson, 1865

tribe Parancistrolepidini

• Parancistrolepis Azuma, 1965

tribe Prosiphonini

• Prosipho Thiele, 1912

tribe Volutopsiini

• Volutopsius M?rch, 1857

Subfamily Beringiinae

• Beringius Dall, 1887

subfamily Busyconinae

tribe Busyconini

• Busycon R?ding, 1798

tribe Busycotypini

• Busycotypus Wenz, 1943

subfamily Donovaniinae

subfamily Pisaniinae

• Pisania Bivona, 1832

subfamily Siphonaliinae

• Siphonalia A. Adams, 1863

subfamily ?

References

The Family Buccinidae is a member of the Superfamily Buccinoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Buccinidae:

• Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
  • Kingdom: Animalia C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
    • Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
      • Branch: Protostomia Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
        • Infrakingdom: Lophotrochozoa - Lophotrochozoans
          • Superphylum: Eutrochozoa
            • Phylum: Mollusca (C. Linnaeus, 1758) Cuvier, 1795 - Molluscs
              • Class: Gastropoda Cuvier, 1795 - Snails and Slugs
                • Subclass: Orthogastropoda Ponder & Lindberg, 1996
                  • Superorder: Caenogastropoda Cox, 1960
                    • Order: Sorbeoconcha Ponder & Lindberg, 1997
                      • Suborder: Hypsogastropoda Ponder & Lindberg, 1997
                        • Infraorder: Neogastropoda Thiele, 1929
                          • Superfamily: Buccinoidea Rafinesque, 1815
                            • Family: Buccinidae C.S. Rafinesque, 1815 - Whelks