Conus encaustus

Conus encaustus, common name the burnt cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.[2]

Conus encaustus
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus encaustus Kiener, L.C., 1845
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Conidae
Genus: Conus
Species:
C. encaustus
Binomial name
Conus encaustus
Kiener, 1845 [1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Conus (Virroconus) encaustus Kiener, 1845
  • Conus praetextus Reeve, 1848
  • Miliariconus encaustus 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.

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 21.1 mm and 35 mm. The spire is depressed, grooved and coronated with tubercles. The body whorl has distant punctured grooves, more strongly and closely grooved towards the base. The color of the shell is clouded with chocolate- and ash-color, and encircled with numerous chocolate and white spots in lines. The aperture is purplish.[3]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to the Marquesas Islands.

References
  1. Kiener, L. C., 1845. Spécies Général et Iconographie des Coquilles Vivantes, 2.
  2. Conus encaustus Kiener, 1845. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 19 July 2011.
  3. George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology, vol. VI, p. 21; 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 4, 2009 Edition
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