Conus africanus

Conus africanus, common name the African cone, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.[3]

Conus africanus
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus africanus Kiener, L.C., 1849
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. africanus
Binomial name
Conus africanus Kiener, 1845 [2]
Synonyms[3]
Conus (Lautoconus) africanus Kiener, 1848 · accepted, alternate representation Conus neoafricanus da Motta, 1991 (unnecessary replacement name for Conus africanus Kiener, 1848, by da Motta believed to be preoccupied by "Conus africanus Meuschen" (published in a rejected work)) Varioconus africanus Kiener, L.C., 1845

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.

This species has been recently declared "least concern" in 2012, after it had been declared "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List in 1996.[1]

Conus africanus Kiener, L.C., 1849

Description

The size of the shell varies between 13 mm and 30 mm.

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Angola and West Africa.

References

1. IUCN Red List Conus Africanus. Downloaded on 20 August 2012.
2. Kiener, L. C., 1845. Spécies Général et Iconographie des Coquilles Vivantes, 2
3. WoRMS (2010). Conus africanus Kiener, 1845. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=404999 on 2011-07-18

• Kiener L.C. 1844-1850. Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Vol. 2. Famille des Enroulées. Genre Cone (Conus, Lam.), pp. 1-379, pl. 1-111 [pp. 1-48 (1846); 49-160 (1847); 161-192 (1848); 193-240 (1849); 241-[379](assumed to be 1850); plates 4,6 (1844); 2-3, 5, 7-32, 34-36, 38, 40-50 (1845); 33, 37, 39, 51-52, 54-56, 57-68, 74-77 (1846); 1, 69-73, 78-103 (1847); 104-106 (1848); 107 (1849); 108-111 (1850)]. Paris, Rousseau & J.B. Baillière
• 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 4, 2009 Edition
• Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015). One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 81: 1-23

External links

• "Varioconus africanus". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
• Cone Shells - Knights of the Sea
• "Varioconus africanus". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 15 January 2019.