Neptunea beringiana: Shell yellowish, with external calcareous layer, solid, thick, ovately fusiform; whorls little convex, transversely plicate; plications on each whorl nine to eleven, with four to six transverse interstitial channels somewhat obsoletely trenched; with straight longish columella; lip moderately callous; lip simple; aperture whitish, vernicose, broadly canaliculate at the external plications; with straight canal. This species in general in its form comes nearest to T. norvegicum, has, however, nearly the same spindle ornamentation as T. antiquum, from both of which it is easily distinguished by its transverse folds. (Translation.)
TYPE in Academy, St. Petersburg. Type locality, Bering Sea.
RANGE. Plover Bay, near Bering Sea.

Neptunea beringiana: In deep water by Russian fisherman, Central Sea of Okhotsk, Russia, 83.1mm.
The « Fat Neptune » is a peculiarly shaped cold-water buccinid distributed from the Sea of Okhotsk to Bering Sea. It is a very variable species and can range from completely lacking in significant sculpture (as shown) to having several rather strong radial cords; although usually the wide and squat shape is conserved. The name N. beringiana is in fact junior to Fusus bulbosus Valenciennes, 1846 which referred to the same species; but N. beringiana was conserved according to the ICZN Article 23.9.1-2 as a nomen protectum by Kantor & Sysoev (2002) because it was already in prevailing usage. A carnivorous / scavenging species inhabiting rather deep water around -100~500m; it is supposedly common in its habitat but somewhat rare in the shell market. Typical shell length around 90mm., very large specimens may reach 120mm.