Conus cinereus

Conus cinereus
Apertural view of Conus cinereus
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. cinereus
Binomial name
Conus cinereus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus bernardii Kiener, 1845 Conus caerulescens Lamarck, 1810 Conus exaratus Reeve, 1844 Conus gabrielii Kiener, 1845 Conus gubba Kiener, 1845 Conus nisus Dillwyn, 1817 Conus politus Weinkauff, 1875 Cucullus cinereus Röding, 1798 Cucullus clavatus Röding, 1798 Phasmoconus cinereus (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792)

Conus cinereus, common name the sunburnt 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 57 mm. The shell is cylindrically ovate, with a moderate, smooth spire. The body whorl is encircled below by distant grooves. The shell is clouded with olivaceous, ashy blue and chestnut-brown, with revolving lines articulated of chestnut and white spots. The brown-stained aperture is wider at its base than at its shoulder. Conus bernardii is a color variant. The color of its shell is fulvous chestnut, with a few scattered white spots and chestnut revolving lines. ^[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Western Pacific Ocean from Japan to Indonesia.

References

1. ^ Bruguière, J. G., and Hwass, C. H., 1792. Cone. Encyclopédie Méthodique: Histoire Naturelle des Vers, 1: 586 -757
2. ^ ^{a b} Conus cinereus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792.  Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=426452 on 16 July 2011.
3. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 58; 1879

• 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
• Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp.

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Gastropods.com: Phasmoconus cinereus; accessed: 16 July 2011