About Penion sulcatus (Lamarck, 1816)
Penion sulcatus is a medium-to-large species of Penion siphon whelk. Its shells are highly variable in sculpture and colouration, but are most often dark with a white aperture. The extinct species Penion exoptatus, Penion clifdenensis, and potentially also Penion marwicki, may belong to the same evolutionary lineage as the living Penion sulcatus. This hypothesis is based on geometric morphometric analysis of shell shape and size across all four taxa, as well as analysis of morphometric variation in all currently living species of Penion. Penion sulcatus is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found along the entire coasts of the North Island and the northern coasts of the South Island. The species has an abundant fossil record in New Zealand's North Island. P. sulcatus is benthic, and is commonly found on soft sediments on the continental shelf, or within subtidal rocky shore environments. Penion sulcatus is a carnivore, and is known to feed on mussels and Dosina zelandica zelandica. Shells recovered from middens of historic Māori settlements indicate that P. sulcatus may have been intentionally foraged as a food source by Māori.
