Conus locumtenens

Conus locumtenens
Apertural view of Conus locumtenens
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. locumtenens
Binomial name
Conus locumtenens Blumenbach, 1791 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus acuminatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus coxianus G. B. Sowerby III, 1895 Conus insignis G. B. Sowerby II, 1833 Conus multicatenatus G. B. Sowerby II, 1865 Conus nodulosus G. B. Sowerby II, 1866 Conus schech Weinkauff, 1873 Conus substitutus Link, 1807 Conus viaderi Fenaux, 1942 Conus vicarius Röding, 1798 Cucullus vicarius Röding, 1798 Leptoconus locumtenens (Blumenbach, 1791)

Conus locumtenens, common name the vice admiral 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 30 mm and 66 mm. The spire is channeled and concavely elevated. The color of the shell is yellowish or pink-white, with a network of chestnut or chocolate. It is sometimes indistinctly banded, with lines of spots on the bands. The aperture is generally rose-tinted. ^[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean along Somalia.

References

1. ^ Blumenbach, J. F., 1791. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte, 4th ed
2. ^ ^{a b} Conus locumtenens Blumenbach, 1791.  Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=428189 on 28 July 2011.
3. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 31 (described as Conus acuminatus)

• 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: Leptoconus locumtenens; accessed: 28 July 2011