Conus muriculatus

Conus muriculatus
Apertural view of Conus muriculatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Clade: Caenogastropoda
Clade: Hypsogastropoda
Clade: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Conidae
Genus: Conus
Species: C. muriculatus
Binomial name
Conus muriculatus
G. B. Sowerby I, 1833 [1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Conus muriculatus var. laevigata G. B. Sowerby I, 1833 (invalid: junior homonym of Conus laevigatus Link, 1807)
  • Conus sugillatus Reeve, 1843
  • Conus (Kermasprella) muriculatus laevigata (f) Sowerby, G.B. I & II, 1833
  • Conus (Lividoconus) muriculatus G. B. Sowerby I, 1833 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Lividoconus muriculatus G. B. Sowerby I, 1833

Conus muriculatus, common name the muricate cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.[2]

Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 15 mm and 50 mm. The solid shell has straight sides, and a short conical spire. The shoulder is sharply angulated and tuberculated. The body whorl is strongly striate towards the base, encircled throughout with lines of granules. The color of the shell is white, violet-tinged towards the base, with two light chestnut or yellowish brown, broad, irregular and somewhat indistinct bands. [3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin to Western Australia; in the Pacific Ocean from Japan to New Caledonia, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and French Polynesia; off Australia (New South Wales, Queensland).

References

  1. Sowerby (I), G. B. Jr., 1833. Conus. pls 24-37 in Sowerby, G.B. (2nd) (ed). The Conchological Illustrations or coloured figures of all the hitherto unfigured recent shells. London : G.B. Sowerby (2nd).
  2. 1 2 Conus muriculatus G. B. Sowerby II, 1833.  Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 1 August 2011.
  3. George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 26; 1879
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