Predator in the rocky infralittoral.
Protonym: Buccinum scacchianum.
Synonym: picta Scacchi.
10-15m deep, Ayía Nápa, Famagousta, E. Cyprus. 11mm.
In his work, Philippi repeats the description of Purpura picta given by Scacchi in 1836, who was not aware that this epithet had already been used by Turton in 1825. « Shell small, dirty-white, adorned with dark transverse interrupted lines except for the last whorl that stays pale in the middle; sculpture made up of rugose transverse striae and minor radial cords; columella with one fold abapically, and one tooth adapically; labrum varicose, internally denticulate. » – A. Scacchi: Catalogus Conchyliorum regni Neapolitani, Napoli 1836, p.10.
Above, a dark specimen collected at 1m deep, Campomarino, SE. of Taranto, Puglia, S. Italy. 11mm.
Bucc. scaber (left, erroneously given as assimile) and Bucc. scacchianum (right) in H. C. Kuster: “Die Gattungen Buccinum, Purpura, Concholepas und Monoceros”, Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet Bd.3:Abt.1, Nürnberg 1858, plate XV.
« The single examined syntype of Buccinum assimile Reeve, 1846, here designed as lectotype – which perfectly matches the original illustration – is clearly a worn specimen of Aplus scacchianus (R.A. Philippi, 1844). Consequently, Buccinum assimile Reeve, 1846 is here considered a junior synonym of Buccinum scacchianum R.A. Philippi, 1844 (n. syn.). » – Nappo & Stahlschmidt: “Playing hide and seek: On the identity of Buccinum assimile Reeve, 1846, with a description of a new species”, Bollettino Malacologico vol. 62(1), Milano 2026, p.102.
« The single examined syntype of Buccinum assimile Reeve, 1846, here designed as lectotype – which perfectly matches the original illustration – is clearly a worn specimen of Aplus scacchianus (R.A. Philippi, 1844). Consequently, Buccinum assimile Reeve, 1846 is here considered a junior synonym of Buccinum scacchianum R.A. Philippi, 1844 (n. syn.). » – Nappo & Stahlschmidt: “Playing hide and seek: On the identity of Buccinum assimile Reeve, 1846, with a description of a new species”, Bollettino Malacologico vol. 62(1), Milano 2026, p.102.
