Conus ferrugineus

Conus ferrugineus
Apertural view of Conus ferrugineus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Subfamily:	Coninae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. ferrugineus
Binomial name
Conus ferrugineus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus chenui Crosse, 1857 Conus loebbeckeanus Weinkauff, 1873 Conus mirmillo Crosse, 1865 Conus sophiae Brazier, 1875 Vituliconus ferrugineus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792

Conus ferrugineus 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 40 mm and 80 mm. The thin shell has a depressed carinate and striate spire, which is yellowish, maculated with brown. The body whorl is striated below, yellowish, with two series of longitudinal forked and irregular dark brown markings, interrupted in the middle and at the base. There are traces of distant narrow brown revolving lines. The aperture is white. ^[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean from Indonesia to the Marquesas islands, along Queensland, Australia and New Caledonia.

References

1. ^ Bruguière, J. G., and Hwass, C. H., 1792. Cone. Encyclopédie Méthodique: Histoire Naturelle des Vers, 1: 586 -757
2. ^ ^{a b} Conus ferrugineus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792.  Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=426497 on 21 July 2011.
3. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 50 (described as Conus chenui)

• Filmer R.M. (2001). A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae 1758 - 1998. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 388pp.
• Tucker J.K. (2009). Recent cone species database. September 4th 2009 Edition

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Gastropods.com: Vituliconus ferrugineus; accessed: 21 July 2011