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Taxonomy
Family:
BULLIDAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Heterobranchia (Subclass)
> Euthyneura (Infraclass)
> Tectipleura (Subterclass)
> Cephalaspidea (Order)
> Bulloidea (Superfamily)
> Bullidae (Family)
> Bulla (Genus)
> vernicosa (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Bulla (Quibulla) Iredale, 1929
=Bullaria Rafinesque, 1815
=Quibulla Iredale, 1929
=Vesica Swainson, 1840
Synonymised Names:
=Bulla (Quibulla) subtropicalis Powell, 1965
=Bulla angasi of authors not Pilsbry
=Bulla conspersa Pease, 1869
=Bulla difficilis Habe, 1950
=Bulla ovula G.B. Sowerby II, 1868
=Bulla ovulum A.A. Gould, 1867
=Bulla secunda Mabille, 1896
=Bulla subaustralis Mabille, 1896
=Bulla subtropicalis Powell, 1965
=Quibulla scotti Iredale, 1937
Images: Bulla vernicosa A.A. Gould, 1859
Dead, on sand flats, Parengarenga Harbour, Far North, NZ. 32mm. © rights reserved
In beach drift, Whangarei, Northland, NZ. 19mm. © rights reserved
Hermit crab in sandy pool at low tide, Karikari Peninsula, Northland, NZ. 24mm. © rights reserved
Taxonomy
Family:
BULLIDAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Heterobranchia (Subclass)
> Euthyneura (Infraclass)
> Tectipleura (Subterclass)
> Cephalaspidea (Order)
> Bulloidea (Superfamily)
> Bullidae (Family)
> Bulla (Genus)
> vernicosa (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Bulla (Quibulla) Iredale, 1929
=Bullaria Rafinesque, 1815
=Quibulla Iredale, 1929
=Vesica Swainson, 1840
Synonymised Names:
=Bulla (Quibulla) subtropicalis Powell, 1965
=Bulla angasi of authors not Pilsbry
=Bulla conspersa Pease, 1869
=Bulla difficilis Habe, 1950
=Bulla ovula G.B. Sowerby II, 1868
=Bulla ovulum A.A. Gould, 1867
=Bulla secunda Mabille, 1896
=Bulla subaustralis Mabille, 1896
=Bulla subtropicalis Powell, 1965
=Quibulla scotti Iredale, 1937
Details: Bulla vernicosa A.A. Gould, 1859
Size/Grows to:
Height 32mm, Width 20mm
Distribution:
Western Pacific. Kermadec Islands and north-eastern North Island, as far south as Bay of Islands, from 0-146m
Type Data:
  • Ryukyu Islands, East China Sea, (holotype)
  • Norfolk Island, Australia, (type of subtropicalis Powell, 1965)
Notes:
Subtropical Bubble Shell, Marine, Native - Non-endemic, Intertidal and immediate sublittoral
Description:
More solid than Bulla quoyi, outer lip is flattened. No spiral grooves on the base

View Distribution Map
References and Publications
  • Morley, M.S., Hayward, B.W. 2015 Intertidal records of 'sea slugs' (nudibranchs and allied opisthobranch gastropods) from northern North Island, New Zealand, Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 50 (p.57)
  • Raven, J.L. Nov/2009 Interesting finds around Wellington, Cookia, 21 (p.22)
  • Malaquias, M.A.E., Reid, D.G. 2008 Systematic revision of the living species of Bullidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Cephalaspidea), with a molecular phylogenetic analysis, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 153(3) (p.527)
  • Brook, F.J., Marshall, B.A. 1998 The coastal molluscan fauna of the northern Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 28 (p.231)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.275)
  • Willan, R.C. 1978 The nomenclature of three Pacific Bulla species, Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia, 4(1) (p.60)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1965 New Zealand Molluscan Systematics with Descriptions of New Species: Part 5, Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 6(2) (p.167)

NZ Geographical Regions
Key to symbols used in Checklist.
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil