Penion maximus
| Penion maximus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| A shell of Penion maximus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Austrosiphonidae |
| Genus: | Penion |
| Species: | P. maximus |
| Binomial name | |
| Penion maximus (Tryon, G.W., 1881) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Siphonalia maxima Tryon, 1881 (superseded combination) | |
Penion maximus is a species of very large predatory sea snail or whelk, commonly known as giant whelk or great whelk, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Austrosiphonidae. [1] [2]
Description
Penion maximus is the largest species in this genus, measuring 190.5 mm in length.[3][4] The species could be confused with the sympatric species P. mandarinus, however P. mandarinus is typically smaller and has a smoother shell with a shorter siphonal canal.[3] Their shells are highly coveted due to the intricate designs embedded in onto the shells.
(Original description) The white shell is sprinkled and blotched with light chestnut-brown across the spiral ribs. A broad brown band is positioned between the tubercles on the shoulder of the whorls, while the aperture remains a pure white. [5]
Distribution
The range of the species extends from waters off Tasmania and Victoria to lower Queensland.[3][4]
Evolution
Penion maximus is closely related to another Australian species P. mandarinus.[4][6] The species have overlapping geographic ranges (sympatry) and may have evolved from a common ancestor via niche differentiation based on prey size and water depth.[6]
References
- ↑ Penion maximus(Tryon, 1881). 26 April 2026. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species.
- ↑ Kantor, Yuri I.; Fedosov, Alexander E.; Kosyan, Alisa R.; Puillandre, Nicolas; Sorokin, Pavel A.; Kano, Yasunori; Clark, Roger; Bouchet, Philippe (2022). "Molecular phylogeny and revised classification of the Buccinoidea (Neogastropoda)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 194 (3): 789–857. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab031.
- 1 2 3 Ponder, W.F. (1973). "A review of the Australian species of Penion Fischer (Neogastropoda: Buccinidae)". Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia. 2 (4): 401–428. doi:10.1080/00852988.1973.10673868.
- 1 2 3 Vaux, Felix; Hills, Simon F.K.; Marshall, Bruce A.; Trewick, Steven A.; Morgan-Richards, Mary (2017). "A phylogeny of Southern Hemisphere whelks (Gastropoda: Buccinulidae) and concordance with the fossil record". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 114 (2017): 367–381. Bibcode:2017MolPE.114..367V. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.06.018. PMID 28669812.
- ↑ Tryon, G.W. (1880–1881). Manual of conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species, ser. 1., vol. 3: Tritonidae, Fusidae, Buccinidae. Philadelphia: privately published. p. 135. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - 1 2 Vaux, Felix; Crampton, James S.C.; Trewick, Steven A.; Marshall, Bruce A.; Beu, Alan G.; Hills, Simon F.K.; Morgan-Richards, Mary (2018). "Evolutionary lineages of marine snails identified using molecular phylogenetics and geometric morphometric analysis of shells". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 127 (October 2018): 626–637. Bibcode:2018MolPE.127..626V. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.06.009. PMID 29913310. S2CID 49303166.
- Wilson, B. 1994. Australian marine shells. Prosobranch gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.
External links
- Grove, S.J. 2011. A Guide to the Seashells and other Marine Molluscs of Tasmania.
- Darragh, T.A. (2024). "A checklist of Australian marine Cenozoic Mollusca". Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 83: 96. doi:10.24199/j.mmv.2024.83.02. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- Molluscs of Tasmania: Buccinidae - Siphonaliinae: Penion maximus (Tryon, 1881) ('great whelk')
- Seashells of New South Wales: Penion maximus (Tryon, 1881)
