Conus ochroleucus

Conus ochroleucus
Apertural view of a shell of Conus ochroleucus
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. ochroleucus
Binomial name
Conus ochroleucus Gmelin, 1791 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Asprella ochroleuca (Gmelin, 1791) Conus alternatus Link, 1807 Conus altispiratus G. B. Sowerby II, 1873 Conus eburneus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus fasciatus G. B. Sowerby II, 1858 Conus praefectus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Cucullus eburneus Röding, 1798 Cucullus quadratulus Röding, 1798

Conus ochroleucus, common name the prefect 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 ochroleucus tmetus Tomlin, 1937 (synonyms : Asprella ochroleuca tmetus (Tomlin, J.R. le B., 1937); Conus pilkeyi Petuch, 1974; Conus sulciferus A. Adams, 1855; Phasmoconus pilkeyi Petuch, E.J., 1974)

Apertural view of Conus ochroleucus tmetus

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 40 mm and 88mm. The shell is long and narrow, distantly grooved towards the base. Its color is yellowish brown, variously shaded, with a rather indistinct median lighter band. The white aperture is somewhat wider anteriorly. The striate and acuminate spire is maculated with yellowish brown and white. ^[3]

Distribution

This species is found in the Pacific Ocean along Taiwan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Fiji; in the Indian Ocean along India.

References

1. ^ Gmelin, J. F., 1791. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, 13th ed. Vol. 1
2. ^ ^{a b} Conus ochroleucus Gmelin, 1791.  Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=428224 on 4 August 2011.
3. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 60

• 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: Asprella ochroleuca tmetus; accessed : 5 August 2011
• Gastropods.com: Asprella ochroleuca ochroleuca; accessed : 5 August 2011