Babylonia japonica

Babylonia japonica
Two live but retracted individuals of Babylonia japonica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Muricoidea
Family: Babyloniidae
Genus: Babylonia
Species: B. japonica
Binomial name
Babylonia japonica
(Reeve, 1842)
Synonyms
  • Eburna japonica Reeve, 1842 (original combination)

Babylonia japonica, common name the Japanese Babylon, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Babyloniidae.[1]

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Description

Babylonia japonica shell.

The length of the shell varies between 40 mm and 85 mm.

Human use

Babylonia japonica for sale at a fishmarket in Japan.

Although this species is generally considered edible for humans, it is known to bioaccumulate toxins under certain conditions, namely the surugatoxin family, which causes blockage of autonomic ganglia, and tetrodotoxin (pufferfish toxin). In September 1965 a food poisoning outbreak occurred after ingestion of this species from Suruga Bay. The symptoms largely corresponded to ganglionic blockage, with parasympathetic dysfunction being more common than sympathetic dysfunction.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Babylonia japonica (Reeve, 1842) .  Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 5 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Hayashi, E., & Yamada, S. (1975). Pharmacological studies on surugatoxin, the toxic principle from Japanese ivory mollusc (Babylonia japonica). British Journal of Pharmacology, 53(2), 207–215. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1666298/)
  3. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270046188_Occurrence_of_tetrodotoxin_in_the_Japanese_ivory_shell_Babylonia_Japonica; retrieved 22 September 2018
  • Fraussen K. & Stratmann D. (2013) The family Babyloniidae. In: G.T. Poppe & K. Groh (eds), A conchological iconography. Harxheim: Conchbooks. 96 pp., pls 1-48.


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