Penion sulcatus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Penion sulcatus Temporal range: Early Pliocene to Recent, 5.3–0.0Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Dorsal view of a shell of Penion sulcatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Buccinoidea
Family:	Buccinidae
Genus:	Penion
Species:	P. sulcatus
Binomial name
Penion sulcatus (Lamarck, 1816)
Synonyms
Fusus sulcatus Lamarck, 1816 Fusus zelandicus Quoy and Gaimard, 1833 Fusus adustus Philippi, 1845

Penion sulcatus is a type of medium to large sea snail, also known as a whelk. It is a predatory animal, meaning it hunts and eats other creatures. This snail is often called the northern siphon whelk or kākara nui in the Māori language. It belongs to the true whelk family called Buccinidae.

About the Northern Siphon Whelk

Penion sulcatus is a medium to large species of Penion siphon whelk. Its shell can look very different from one snail to another in terms of its patterns and colors. However, the shells are often dark with a white opening.

Where Penion sulcatus Lives

Penion sulcatus is found only in New Zealand. This means it is endemic to that country. You can find this snail along the coasts of the entire North Island and the northern part of the South Island. Scientists have also found many fossils of this species in the North Island, showing it has lived there for a long time.

These snails live on the seafloor, which is called being benthic. They are common in soft, muddy, or sandy areas on the continental shelf (the shallow part of the ocean floor near land). They also live in rocky areas just below the water's surface.

What Penion sulcatus Eats

Egg capsules of Penion sulcatus at Kawau Bay, Hauraki Gulf.

Penion sulcatus is a carnivore, which means it eats other animals. It is known to feed on mussels and another type of clam called Dosina zelandica zelandica.

How Humans Have Used Penion sulcatus

Long ago, Māori settlements often left behind piles of shells called middens. When archaeologists study these middens, they find shells of P. sulcatus. This suggests that Māori people likely collected these snails for food.

See also

In Spanish: Penion sulcatus para niños