Buccinum leucostoma

Buccinum leucostoma
Two shells of Buccinum leucostoma
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Buccinoidea
Family: Buccinidae
Subfamily: Buccininae
Genus: Buccinum
Species: B. leucostoma
Binomial name
Buccinum leucostoma
Lischke, 1872

Buccinum leucostoma, common name the yellow-mouth buccinum, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.[1]

Description

The size of the shell of an adult varies between 55 mm and 120 mm. The snail's salivary glands contains the toxin tetramine (tetramethylammonium ion) [2] The male shell tends to be smaller and more slender than the female shell. The interior of the peristome in male specimens is characterised by a reddish orange colour, while in female specimens it is whitish or yellowish.[3]

Distribution

This species is found in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Japan.

Buccinum leucostoma Lischke, 1872

References

  1. ↑ Buccinum leucostoma Lischke, 1872 .  Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 19 June 2011.
  2. ↑ Yoko Kawashima, Yuji Nagashima and Kazuo Shiomi, Determination of tetramine in marine gastropods by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry ; Science Direct Volume 44, Issue 2, August 2004, Pages 185-191, doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2004.05.020
  3. ↑ Tiba Ranzi, Sexual dimorphism in some species of Buccinidae; The malacological society of Japan, 11(2-3), 87-94, 1941-11-25, 1941

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