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Buccinidae is a very large and diverse family of large sea snails, often known as whelks or true whelks (to distinguish them from the Busycon whelks). True whelks are marine and 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 lar ge 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.

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.

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.

Taxonomy

According to the Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005) the family Buccinidae consists of six subfamilies :

• Subfamily Beringiinae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1975
• Subfamily Buccininae Rafinesque, 1815
  • tribe Ancistrolepidini Habe & Sato, 1973
  • tribe Buccinini Rafinesque, 1815
  • tribe Buccinulini Fi nlay, 1928
  • tribe Colini Gray, 1857
  • tribe Cominellini Gray, 1857
  • tribe Liomesini P. Fischer, 1884
  • tribe Parancistrolepidini Habe, 1972
  • tribe Prosiphonini Powell, 1951
  • tribe Volutopsiini Habe & Sato, 1973
• Subfamily Busyconinae Wade, 1917 (1867)
  • tribe Busyconini Wade, 1917 (1867)
  • tribe Busycotypini Petuch, 1994
• Subfamily Donovaniinae Casey, 1904
• Subfamily Pisaniinae Gray, 1857
• Subfamily Siphonaliinae Finlay, 1928

Genera and Species

• Genus Aeneator Finlay, 1927
• Genus Afrocominella Iredale, 1918
• Genus Americominella Klappenbach & Ureta 1972
• Genus Ancistrolepis Dall, 1895
• Genus Anna Risso 1826
• Genus Anomacme Strebel, 1905
• Genus Antarctodomus A. Adams, 1863
• Genus Antarctoneptunea Dell, 1972
• Genus Antillophos Woodring 1928
• Genus Antistreptus Dall 1902
• Genus Atractodon Charlesworth 1837
• Genus Aulacofusus Dall, 1918
• Genus Austrofusus Kobelt, 1879
  • Austrofusus glans Finlay, 1928)
• Genus Babylonia Schluter, 1838
• Genus Bailya M. Smith, 1944
• Genus Bathyancistrolepis Habe & Ito, 1968
• Genus Bathydomus Thiele, 1912
• Genus Bayerius Olsson, 1971
• Genus Belomitra P.Fischer, 1882
  • Belomitra climacella (Dall, 1895)
• Genus Beringion Habe & Ito 1965
• Genus Beringius Dall, 1886
• Genus †Boreokelletia Anderson 1964
• Genus Buccinulum Deshayes, 1830
• Genus Buccinum Linnaeus, 1758
  

  Buccinum undatum on a stamp from the Faroe Islands
• Genus Burnupena Iredale, 1918
• Genus Caducifer Dall, 1904
• Genus Cancellopollia Vermeij & Bouchet, 1998
• Genus Cantharus Röding, 1798
• Genus Cavineptunea Powell 1951
• Genus Chauvetia Monterosato, 1884
• Genus Chickcharnea Petuch 2002
• Genus Chlanidota Martens, 1878
• Genus Chlanidotella Thiele 1929
• Genus Chlanificula Powell, 1958
• Genus Chrysodomus Swainson, 1840
• Genus Clea A. Adams, 1855
  • Clea bocki Brot
  • Clea jullieni (Deshayes)
  • Clea helena (Meder in Philippi, 1847)
  • Clea nigricans A. Adams, 1855
  • Clea bocourti (Brot, 1876)
  • Clea hidalgoi (Crosse, 1886)
  • Clea bangueyensis Smith, 1895
• Genus Clinopegma Grant & Gale 1931
• Genus Clivipollia Iredale, 1929
• Genus Colubraria Schumacher, 1817
• Genus Colus Röding, 1798
• Genus Cominella Gray, 1850
• Genus Corneobuccinum
• Genus Costaria Golikov, 1977
• Genus Crenatosipho Linse 2002
• Genus Cumia Bivona-Bernardi, 1838
  • Cumia adjuncta (Iredale, 1929)
  • Cumia reticulata (A. Adams, 1855)
• Genus Eburna Lamarck, 1801
• Genus Echinosipho Kaiser 1977
• Genus Engina Gray, 1839
• Genus Enginella Monterosato, 1917
• Genus Engoniophos Woodring 1928
• Genus Enigmatocolus Fraussen, 2008 ^[1]
• Genus Eosipho Thiele, 1929
  • Eosipho aldermenensis (Powell, 1971)
• Genus Euthrenopsis Powell 1929
• Genus Euthria M. E Gray, 1850
• Genus Euthriostoma Marche-Marchard & Brebion 1977
• Genus Falsimohnia Powell, 1951
• Genus Falsitromina Dell 1990
• Genus Fax Iredale, 1925
• Genus Fusinus Rafinesque, 1815
• Genus Fusus Helbling, 1779
• Genus Gemophos Olsson & Harbison 1953
• Genus Germonea Harasewych & Kantor 2004
• Genus Glaphyrina Finlay, 1927
• Genus Glypteuthria Strebel, 1905
• Genus Godfreyena Iredale, 1934
• Genus Golikovia Habe & Sato 1972
• Genus Habevolutopsius Kantor 1983
• Genus Harpofusus Habe & Ito 1965
• Genus Hesperisternia v
• Genus Iredalula Finlay, 1926
  • Iredalula alticincta (Murdoch & Suter, 1906)
  • Iredalula striata (Hutton, 1873)
  • Iredalula venusta Powell, 1934
• Genus Japelion Dall, 1916
• Genus Japeuthria Iredale, 1918
• Genus Kanamarua Kuroda, 1951
• Genus Kapala Ponder, 1982
• Genus Kelletia Fischer 1884
• Genus Kryptos Dautzenberg & Fischer 1896
• Genus Liomesus Stimpson 1865
• Genus Lusitromina Harasewych & Kantor 2004
• Genus Lussivolutopsius Kantor 1983
• Genus Macron Adams 1853
• Genus Manaria E.A. Smith, 1906
• Genus Meteuthria Thiele 1912
• Genus Metula H. & A. Adams, 1853
• Genus Mohnia Friele in Kobelt, 1879
• Genus Monostiolum Dall 1904
• Genus Muffinbuccinul Harasewych & Kantor, 2004
• Genus Nassaria Dall, 1916
  • Nassaria solida Kuroda & Habe, 1961
• Genus Neancistrolepis Habe & Sato 1972
• Genus Neoberingius Habe & Ito 1965
• Genus Neobuccinum Smith, 1877
• Genus Neptunea Röding, 1798
• Genus Parabuccinum Harasewych, Kantor & Linse, 2000
• Genus Parancistrolepis
• Genus Pararetifusus Kosuge, 1967
  • Pararetifusus carinatus (Ponder, 1970)
• Genus Pareuthria Strebel, 1905
  • Pareuthria campbelli (Filhol, 1880)
  • Pareuthria valdiviae (Thiele, 1925)
• Genus Parficulina
• Genus Paryiphos
• Genus Penion Fischer, 1884
• Genus Phos Montfort, 1810
• Genus Pisania Bivona, 1832
• Genus Pleia Finlay, 1930
  • Pleia cryptocarinata (Dell, 1956)
• Genus Pleuroploca Fischer, 1884
  • Pleuroploca filamentosa (Röding, 1798)
• Genus Plicifusus Dall, 1902
• Genus Pollia Gray, 1834
• Genus Probuccinum Thiele 1912
• Genus Prodotia Dall, 1924
• Genus Proneptunea Thiele 1912
• Genus Prosipho Thiele, 1912
  • Prosipho tomlini Powell, 1957
• Genus Pseudoliomesus Habe & Sato 1972
• Genus Ptychosalpinx Gill 1868
• Genus Pyrolofusus Friele 1882
• Genus Reticubuccinum Ito & Habe 1980
• Genus Retimohnia McLean 1995
• Genus Savatieria Rochebrune & Mabille 1885
• Genus Searlesia Harmer 1914
• Genus Serratifusus Darragh, 1969
• Genus Siphonalia A. Adams, 1863
• Genus Siphonofusus Kuroda & Habe, 1952
• Genus Solenosteira Dall 1890
• Genus Spikebuccinum Harasewych & Kantor 2004
• Genus Steye Faber, 2004
• Genus Tacita Lus 1971
• Genus Taron Hutton, 1883
  • Taron dubius (Hutton, 1878)
  • Taron mouatae Powell, 1940
  • Taron albocostus Ponder, 1968
• Genus Tasmeuthria Iredale, 1925
• Genus Truncaria Adams & Reeve 1850
• Genus Turrisipho Dautzenberg & Fischer 1912
• Genus Turrivolutopsius
• Genus Volutharpa Fischer, 1856
• Genus Volutopsius Mörch, 1857