Conus capitaneus

Conus capitaneus
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. capitaneus
Binomial name
Conus capitaneus Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms[1]
Conus capitaneus var. virgineus Wils, 1972 Conus ceciliae Crosse, 1858 Conus ferrugineus Bosc, L.A.G., 1801 Rhizoconus capitaneus Linnaeus, 1758

Conus capitaneus, common name the captain cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[1]

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 50 mm and 98 mm. Its low spire is striate, flamed with chocolate and white. The body whorl is yellowish, or orange-brown, encircled by rows of chestnut dots, usually stained chocolate at the base. There is a central white band, with chocolate hierogtyphic markings on either side, and a shoulder-band, crossed by chocolate smaller longitudinal markings. The aperture is white. ^[2]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indian Ocean along Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius and Tanzania; and in the Indo-West Pacific (along Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Japan to Australia),

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Conus capitaneus Linnaeus, 1758.  Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=215525 on 27 March 2010.
2. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology, vol. VI, p. 40; 1879

• Drivas, J. & M. Jay (1988). Coquillages de La Réunion et de l'île Maurice
• 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
• Spencer, H.; Marshall. B. (2009). All Mollusca except Opisthobranchia. In: Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume One: Kingdom Animalia. 584 pp

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website