Siphonalia pfefferi

Siphonalia pfefferi, common name Pfeffer's whelk, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.

Siphonalia pfefferi
Shell of Siphonalia pfefferi from Japan at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Buccinidae
Genus:	Siphonalia
Species:	S. pfefferi
Binomial name
Siphonalia pfefferi G.B. Sowerby, 1900

Description

Siphonalia pfefferi has a shell that reaches a length of 40–50 mm. The shape of this shell is ovate, with several prominent ribs per whorl and a siphonal canal slightly recurved. The surface has a white or cream-yellow background color, with small orange or pale brown spots. Interior has an orange coloration, with white inner lip of the aperture.

Distribution

This species is endemic to southern Japan, mainly in Kii Peninsula and southward.

Habitat

It lives on sandy bottoms, at a depth of 10–50 m.

References

• WoRMS
• Encyclopedia of Life
• "Siphonalia pfefferi". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.