Bullata

Bullata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Orthogastropoda
Superorder:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Sorbeoconcha
Suborder:	Hypsogastropoda
Infraorder:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Marginellidae
Subfamily:	Marginellinae
Genus:	Bullata; Jousseaume, 1875

Bullata Jousseaume, 1875: 167, 250
Marginella, subg. Volutella Swainson, 1830:(2)1, Marginella pl.1 (non Perry, 1810) [TS: Marginella bullata Lamarck, 1822, = Voluta bullata Born, 1778; OD]
Gibberulina Monterosato, 1884:139 [invalid emendation, as "nom. sost."]

Description

Shells moderatly large to very large, range size from + 14mm (B. largilleri, smallest species of Bullata) - to 97,9mm (biggest specimen know of B. bullata)

Color yellowish-orange to orange- or pinkish-brown, spirally banded (left-B. bullata, B. mathewsi, B. lilacina) or with white spots (right-B. analucia, B. guerrini, B. largilleri).

Lip pink, yellow, or orange, darker than shell color.
Shell surface smooth, glossy.

Shape elliptic to oblong or obovate, moderately to strongly shouldered. Spire immersed or near so.

Aperture narrow to moderately broad, wider anteriorly.
Lip moderately strongly thickned, waekly to strongly denticulate in adults, with a distinct external varix.
Siphonal noch, posterior noch absent.
Parietal callusing weakly to strongly developed, especially posteriorly, absent in type species.
Columella with 4 continuous plications occupying less than half the aperture lenght. Internal whorls unmodified.

Distribution and habitat

W. Atlantic. Recorded from 1 to 60 m.

Remarks

The large, patterned shells with a immersed spire and 4 moderatly heavy columellar plications not crowded anteriorly serve to distinguish this group. This group is restricted to the Caribbean province, where it evolved in the Miocene as a direct offshot of Prunum.
Coan (1965:189) placed Cryptospyra as a subgenus of Bullata. Coovert & Coovert (1995:93) consider as distinct Genus, as they have separete origins, Bullata being a direct descendant of Caribean Prunum, whereas Cryptospira is restricted to the western Indo-Pacific where it evolved.

Prunum
Bullata
Cryptospira

Systematic

Bullata analuciae de Souza & Coovert, 2001
Bullata bullata (Born, 1778) T
Bullata largillieri (Kiener, 1834)
Bullata lilacina (Sowerby II, 1846)
Bullata mathewsi (van Mol & Tursch, 1967)
Bullata guerrinii de Souza & Coovert, 2001

References

COAN, Eugene 1965. A proposed reclassification of the Family Marginellidae. The Veliger 7(3): 184-194
COOVERT, Gary & COOVERT, Holly 1995. Revision of the Supraspecific Classification of Marginelliform Gastropods. The Nautilus Vol. 109, No. 2 and 3; 43-110
de Souza, Paulino J.S. Jr.[1] and Luis Ferreira 2001. Webnotes on genus Bullata. Marginellidae (currently offline) [2]