Penion cuvierianus explained

Penion cuvierianus is a species of very large predatory sea snail or whelk, commonly called the flaring penion, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Austrosiphonidae.^[1]

Description

Penion cuvierianus is a very large species of siphon whelk.^{[2] [3]} Shells vary between ivory and yellow in colouration.

Recent genetic and geometric morphometric research using shell shape and size has demonstrated that a formerly recognised subspecies Penion cuvierianus jeakingsi is closely related to Penion ormesi, instead of Penion curierianus, and the taxon has been synonymised with P. ormesi.^[4]

Distribution

Penion cuvierianus is endemic to New Zealand. The taxonomic name is a reference to the type locality of Cuvier Island.^[2] The species has an abundant fossil record in the North Island of New Zealand.^[5]

The species occurs in the subtidal zone between depths of 20 and 200 metres.

Subspecies

These subspecies have been recognised:

• Penion cuvierianus cuvierianus (Powell, 1927)^{[2] [5]}

Subspecies brought into synonymy

• Penion cuvierianus jeakingsi (Powell, 1947):^[2] synonym of Penion ormesi (Powell, 1927)

External links

• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Taxon: Penion cuvierianus Powell, 1927 (Species)
• Auckland War Memorial Museum Penion cuvierianus cuvierianus
• Massey University NZ Fauna Scanned 3D model of Penion cuvierianus
• Natural History Museum Rotterdam - Mollusca - Gastropoda - Buccinidae

Notes and References

1. Kantor, Yuri I.. Fedosov, Alexander E.. Kosyan, Alisa R.. Puillandre, Nicolas. Sorokin, Pavel A.. Kano, Yasunori. Clark, Roger. Bouchet, Philippe. Molecular phylogeny and revised classification of the Buccinoidea (Neogastropoda). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2022. 194. 3. 789–857. 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab031.
2. [Arthur William Baden Powell|Powell A. W. B.]
3. Willan, R.C., de C. Cook, S., Spencer, H.G., Creese, R.G., O’Shea, S., Jackson, G.D. Phylum Mollusca. In: de C. Cook, S.C. (eds.), New Zealand Coastal Marine Invertebrates 1, 406 – 407. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch, New Zealand
4. 10.1093/sysbio/syaa018 . Lineage Identification Affects Estimates of Evolutionary Mode in Marine Snails . Systematic Biology . 69 . 6 . 1106–1121 . 2020 . Vaux . Felix . Gemmell . Michael R. . Hills . Simon F.K. . Marshall . Bruce A. . Beu . Alan G. . Crampton . James S. . Trewick . Steven A. . Morgan-Richards . Mary . 32163159 .
5. Book: Beu . Alan G. . Maxwell . P.A.. 1990 . Cenozoic Mollusca of New Zealand . New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin . 58 . Lower Hutt, New Zealand . New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 0114-2283 .