Penion maximus

Giant whelk | Penion maxima

Penion maximus

Same Genus

Penion mandarinus

Penion sulcatus

Distribution

Temperate Australasia

Description

Long siphonal canal compared with that of P. mandarinus and has angular nodules on the shoulders of the whorls. Through most of its range it occurs in deep water and may be collected by trawlers, but in southern Tasmania, it enters comparatively shallow water.

Information

Max Size: 26 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 10.3-19.4°C

Depth: 5-549m

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.

Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Infrequent (4.6% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.

Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney