Buccinanops cochlidium
A marine gastropod with turreted whorls and a white calcareous deposit.
Buccinanops cochlidium, also called the gradated bullia, is a marine snail belonging to the Nassariidae family—the group known as Nassa mud snails or dog whelks. Its shell, which ranges from 30 mm to 112 mm in size, is elongated, smooth, and glossy. The shell’s reddish-yellow surface is marked by brown-red longitudinal flames, and a matching transverse band circles the base. The spire is tall and made up of eight whorls that are slightly angular at the top and only gently convex; the earliest whorls have longitudinal pleats. The aperture is oval, whitish, and deeply notched at the base, with a thin outer lip and a smooth, yellowish columella. This species is especially striking for its turreted whorls and, most notably, for a whitish calcareous deposit that appears on the upper part of the lower whorls. Its range extends from central Brazil to Argentina.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Buccinanops cochlidium
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The shell of Buccinanops cochlidium is ovate-conical, elongated, smooth, and shining, with a reddish yellow ground color scattered over with longitudinal flames of a brown red. A transverse band of the same color surrounds the base of the shell. The spire is elongated and composed of eight whorls that are slightly angular at their upper part and very slightly convex; the first whorls are plaited longitudinally. The aperture is ovate, whitish, and strongly emarginated at its base, while the outer lip is thin and the columella is smooth and yellowish.
This species is particularly remarkable for its turreted whorls and, above all, for an original deposit of whiter calcareous matter seen at the upper part of the lower whorls of the shell. The size of the shell varies between 30 mm and 112 mm.
The species occurs from Central Brazil to Argentina.
Reader's Guide
Buccinanops cochlidium, as a member of the Nassariidae family, contributes to the understanding of marine gastropod diversity along the South American Atlantic coast. Its distinctive shell features—particularly the turreted whorls and the white calcareous deposit at the upper part of the lower whorls—make it a recognizable species within the genus Buccinanops. The species has been documented in taxonomic works by Kiener, Deshayes & Milne-Edwards, and Cernohorsky, and its systematic position was further discussed by Pastorino. The gradated bullia's range from Central Brazil to Argentina places it within a biogeographic region that hosts a variety of nassariid snails. Its shell size, reaching up to 112 mm, is among the larger for the family. The species' smooth, shining shell with reddish yellow coloration and brown red flames provides a basis for field identification. The taxonomic status of the genus Buccinanops has been subject to review, and this species remains a part of ongoing systematic study within the Nassariidae.
Did You Know?
- The shell size of Buccinanops cochlidium varies between 30 mm and 112 mm.
- It has a distinctive deposit of whiter calcareous matter at the upper part of the lower whorls.
More in Marine Snails: Ceriths, Nassas and Conchs, Part 2 1-24
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