''Fulguropsis pyruloides'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of Marine Gastropod, commonly known as the pear whelk. It is also known as the Florida pear whelk or Atlantic pear whelk in scientific and shelling circles to differentiate from the more well known ''

Fulguropsis ''Fulguropsis'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Busyconidae, the crown conches and their allies. Species Species within the genus ''Fulguropsis'' include: * ''Fulguropsis feldmanni'' Petuch, 1991 * ''Fulguro ...

spirata'', which is also known as the Pear Whelk. It was first described by American conchologist,

Thomas Say Thomas Say (June 27, 1787 – October 10, 1834) was an American entomologist, conchologist, and Herpetology, herpetologist. His studies of insects and shells, numerous contributions to scientific journals, and scientific expeditions to Florida, Ge ...

, in 1822. For a time before the species' range was fully known and it was understood that ''F. spirata'' was only found West of the State of Mississippi, they were occasionally referred to as "Say's Pear Whelk" though this term has fallen out of use. ;Subspecies: * ''Fulguropsis pyruloides pyruloides'' (Say, 1822) * ''Fulguropsis pyruloides rachelcarsonae'' Petuch, R. F. Myers & Berschauer, 2015

Range

This species is native to the Atlantic coast from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

south to

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

as well as the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

eastwards. There is intergrade along the coast of

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, as well as possible intergrade along the

Florida Panhandle The Florida Panhandle (also West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida; it is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long and wide, lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia (U. ...

and Alabama coastline with the species ''

Fulguropsis spirata ''Fulguropsis spirata'', commonly known as pear whelk, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Busyconidae, the busycon whelks. The species is also occasionally referred to as the Gulf pear whelk to differentiate it fr ...

''. The species inhabits a range formerly ascribed to the aforementioned ''F. spirata,'' which was generally found to only inhabit coastlines west of the

Mississippi Delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta, or simply the Delta, is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana) that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo ...

, most if not all specimens east of Alabama are likely of ''F. pyruloides''. This has revealed that many specimens formerly listed as ''F. spirata'' were actually ''F. pyruloides'' the entire time, though these errors have yet to be corrected for the most part.Petuch EJ, et al. 2015. The living and fossil Busycon whelks: Iconic mollusks of eastern North America. San Diego Shell Club. pp 139-162.

References

Marine molluscs of North America Busyconidae Taxa named by Thomas Say Taxa described in 1822 {{Gastropod-stub