The « Mizutani's Whelk » is a uniquely sculptured cold-water buccinid ranging from Hokkaido, Japan to the Sea of Okhotsk. Whorls carry two prominent, thick spiral cords on the body whorl an additional weaker one on the base. The first cord below the shoulder is usually the strongest and is characteristically nodulose, giving it an unmistakable strongly wavy appearance. It is most similar perhaps to B. nodocostum Tiba, 1984, which shares the nodulose spiral cord but differs by the cords being more numerous and much narrower as well as less prominent. Buccinum opisoplectum Dall, 1907 and B. glaciale f. inclitum Pilsbry, 1904 are also similar but likewise these species also have more numerous, much narrower spiral cords and are easily separable. It appears to be a very rare species in the shell trade market. A carnivorous and scavenging gastropod, it inhabits muddy bottoms of rather deep water around -100~500m. Typical shell length around 90mm., very large specimens may reach 120mm. It is named in honour of Mr. Shosan Mizutani, a fisherman based in Abashiri, Hokkaido who first discovered this species.

Kuril Islands