Rank Genus | Superfamily Buccinoidea Scientific name Penion Higher classification Buccinidae | |
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Lower classifications Penion sulcatus, Penion chathamensis, Penion ormesi | ||
Penion is a genus of large sea marine snails, commonly known as siphon whelks, classified within the mollusc family Buccinidae, the true whelks.
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Description
Siphon whelks are large, benthic marine snails, or whelks. Most species inhabit soft sediments on the continental shelf. Small shells and fossils of Penion can sometimes be confused with those of Aeneator.
Distribution
Penion species are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere. Two extant species are currently classified in Australia and six extant species are documented in New Zealand.
Numerous fossil species are recorded in New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Chile, and Antarctica.
Evolution
Penion is currently classified within Buccinidae, the family of true whelks. A molecular phylogeny of Buccinidae based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene suggested that Penion is a sister clade to Kelletia, a genus of whelks with extant species found in the Sea of Japan and in waters off of California, United States and Mexico.
Species
Species and subspecies in the genus Penion include: