| Volutharpa | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Buccinidae |
| Genus: | Volutharpa |
| Species | |
See text | |
Volutharpa is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks. [1]
The thin shell is ventricose, thin. The spire is short. The body whorl and the aperture are very large. The operculum is usually wanting, but, when present, at first with apical nucleus, afterwards becoming annular. [2]
(Described as Pseudobuccinum) The thin shell is oval and ventricose. The spire is very short. The body whorls is large, not produced below. The aperture is large, terminating below in a rounded sinus. The outer lip is thin and simple. The inner lip is very thin, smooth, and closely and very broadly folded upon the imperforate umbilical region and body whorl above, so as to form, with a low revolving umbilical ridge, a kind of profoundly arcuate, strongly spiral, false columell. The surface shows more or less distinct revolving lines and furrows.
This genus differs in its simple foot and in possessing eyes as well as in dentition. The form and porcellaneous texture of the shell are like Bullia , and serve to separate it from Buccinum .
The animal is like Buccinum, of a white color sparsely sprinkled with black on the head, foot and siphon; the tentacles are broad, close together at the base, and rather short, with the eyes on the outer side, near the middle; the siphon is thick and short, and the foot is fleshy and simple behind. [2]
This genus is confined in distribution to the North Pacific Ocean, mainly off Japan and Alaska.
Fossils have been found in Pliocene and Quaternary strata of Japan and in Quaternary strata of California, USA.
The Buccinidae are a very large and diverse taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelks or true whelks.
The Cassidae are a taxonomic family of medium-sized, large, and sometimes very large sea snails commonly called helmet snails or bonnet snails. These are marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Tonnoidea and the clade Littorinimorpha.
Buccinum is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.
Buccinum undatum, the common whelk or the waved buccinum, is a large, edible marine gastropod in the family Buccinidae, the "true whelks".
The Nassariidae, Nassa mud snails (USA), or dog whelks (UK), are a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda.
Lamellariinae is a subfamily of small slug-like sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs belonging to the family Velutinidae, in the order Littorinimorpha.
Penion is a genus of large marine snails, commonly known as siphon whelks, classified within the mollusc family Austrosiphonidae, the true whelks.
Zeatrophon ambiguus common name the large trophon, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails.
Carinodrillia halis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pseudomelatomidae.
Buccinum oblitum is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.
Mohnia parva is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, which are the true whelks.
Mohnia carolinensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.
Nassaria is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Tomliniinae of the family Nassariidae.
Nassarius pullus, common names : black nassa; olive dog whelk; ribbed dog whelk, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Nassariidae, the nassa mud snails or dog whelks.
Nassarius siquijorensis, common name the burned nassa, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the nassa mud snails or dog whelks.
Metula is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Colubrariidae.
Buccinum baerii, common name Baer's buccinum, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks. The epithet is written by some authors as "baeri".
Urosalpinx curtansata is an extinct species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Volutharpa ampullacea is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.
Volutharpa perryi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.
