Conus mucronatus

Conus mucronatus
Apertural view of Conus mucronatus
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. mucronatus
Binomial name
Conus mucronatus Reeve, 1843 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus orbitatus Reeve, 1843 Phasmoconus mucronatus (Reeve, 1843)

Conus mucronatus, common name the deep-groved 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.

There is one subspecies: Conus mucronatus segondensis Fenzan, 2008

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 18 mm and 50 mm. The shell is acuminately turbinated, attenuated towards the base, with revolving grooves throughout. These grooves are crossed by revolving striae. The color of the shell is whitish, somewhat clouded with pale brown. The spire is spotted with brown. ^[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean along the Mascarene Basin; in the Pacific Ocean along the Philippines to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Queensland, Australia, and Vanuatu; along India and in the South China Sea.

References

1. ^ Reeve, L. A., 1843. Monograph of the genus Conus. Conchologia Iconica, i: figures and descriptions of the shells of molluscs; with remarks on their affinities, synonymy, and geographical distribution, 1. Conus
2. ^ ^{a b} Conus mucronatus Reeve, 1843.  Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=215448 on 1 August 2011.
3. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 72; 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
• 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 mucronatus mucronatus; accessed: 1 August 2011