Conus nanus

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

Conus nanus
Apertural view of Conus nanus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. nanus
Binomial name
Conus nanus G.B. Sowerby I, 1833 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus (Harmoniconus) nanus G. B. Sowerby I, 1833 · accepted, alternate representation Conus sponsalis var nanus (G.B. Sowerby I, 1833) Harmoniconus nanus (G.B. Sowerby I, 1833)

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 12 mm and 34 mm. The shell is coronated, with a rather depressed spire, granular striae towards the base. The color of the shell is white, under a thin, light yellowish brown epidermis, obsoletely maculated or occasionally spotted with chestnut. The base is violaceous.[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off the Mascarene Basin; in the Indo-Pacific Region off Hawaii, (Polynesia, Australia) South Africa

• 
  Conus nanus Sowerby, G.B. I, 1833
• 
  Conus nanus Sowerby, G.B. I, 1833

References

1. Sowerby (I), G. B. Jr., 1833. The Conchological Illustrations.
2. Bouchet, P. (2015). Conus nanus G. B. Sowerby I, 1833. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=215452 on 2015-11-07
3. George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 24; 1884

• Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. (1999). Catalogue and bibliography of the marine shell-bearing Mollusca of Japan. Osaka. : Elle Scientific Publications. 749 pp.
• 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
• Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp.
• Severns, M. (2011). Shells of the Hawaiian Islands – The Sea Shells. Conchbooks, Hackenheim. 564 pp.
• 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

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Gastropods.com: Harmoniconus sponsalis var. nanus
• Cone Shells – Knights of the Sea