Odontocymbiola magellanica

Odontocymbiola magellanica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Volutidae
Genus:	Odontocymbiola
Species:	O. magellanica
Binomial name
Odontocymbiola magellanica (Gmelin, 1791)
Synonyms
Odontocymbiola canigiai Vasquez & Caldini, 1992 Voluta ancilla Solander, 1839 Voluta mangeri Preston, 1901 Voluta paradoxa Lahille, 1895 Voluta subnodosa Leach, 1814 Voluta tuberculata Swainson, 1821

Odontocymbiola magellanica, also known as the Magellan whelk or Magellan Venus, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Volutidae, the volutes. It is the largest extant species of volute in the world, reaching up to 35 cm (14 in) in shell length.

Description

Odontocymbiola magellanica is found in the southern oceans, from Chile and Argentina south to the Falkland Islands and the Scotia Sea. It lives on the continental shelf and slope, at depths of 50 to 900 meters (160 to 3,000 ft).

The shell of Odontocymbiola magellanica is thick and heavy, with a glossy surface. It is typically white, cream, or yellow, with brown or purple markings. The aperture is large and oval, and the columella is smooth.

Odontocymbiola magellanica is a carnivorous snail that feeds on other mollusks, such as bivalves and cephalopods. It uses its radula, a ribbon-like tongue covered in teeth, to drill into the shells of its prey.

Odontocymbiola magellanica is a commercially important species in Chile and Argentina, where it is fished for its meat. However, overfishing has led to a decline in its population, and it is now considered to be a near threatened species by the IUCN.