Conus mustelinus

Rhizoconus mustelinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Subfamily:	Coninae
Genus:	Rhizoconus
Species:	R. mustelinus
Binomial name
Rhizoconus mustelinus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Rhizoconus melinus Shikama, 1964 Rhizoconus mustelinus (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792)

Rhizoconus mustelinus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[2]

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 107 mm. The 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 border markings of the bands are reduced to spots. The aperture has a chocolate color with a white band. ^[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian ocean from the Chagos Atoll to to Western Australia; in the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Philippines, Eastern Australia and Fiji.

References

1. ^ Bruguière, J. G., and Hwass, C. H., 1792. Cone. Encyclopédie Méthodique: Histoire Naturelle des Vers, 1: 586 -757
2. ^ ^{a b} Conus mustelinus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792.  Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=215445 on 1 August 2011.
3. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI p. 40; 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

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Gastropods.com: Rhizoconus mustelinus; accessed: 1 August 2011